Mining & Energy

Congressman Rahall has long been a Congressional leader on mining and energy issues.  He recognizes the need to develop our energy resources while ensuring protections for our lands, our communities, and our people, and his career in the Congress reflects that multi-pronged approach.

In 1985, Rahall assumed the Chairmanship of the House Subcommittee on Mining and Natural Resources, a position he held until 1993.   During his time as Subcommittee Chairman, he transformed what had been a moribund panel into one engaged in the aggressive oversight and reform of many of the Nation’s antiquated federal mining laws to bring them in line with the public interest.

He has championed greater protections for mining communities, spearheading drives to legislatively extend the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program and provide funding to combat health, safety, and environmental threats from the remnants of former mine sites.  His work has helped to ensure that programmatic funds could be used to help coalfield communities finance public water systems.  In 2006, his successful effort to extend the life of the program ensured that AML monies would continue to flow to finance the Combined Benefits Fund, a program that has long guaranteed health care benefits for retired coal miners and their dependents.    

Also in 2006, following the mine tragedies at Sago and Alma, West Virginia, Rahall helped to guide landmark mine safety legislation through the Congress.  The MINER Act, which was promptly signed into law, included requirements to strengthen mine seals and provide more oxygen to miners unable to escape when disasters strike.  It set forth requirements for better telecommunications to help track trapped miners and lead them to safety, and led to improvements at the Mine Safety and Health Administration to help ensure that the agency makes the safety and health of miners its uppermost priority.

Rahall has also worked to provide our Nation with the energy it needs to power a strong economy, particularly through the use of coal, America’s most abundant natural energy resource.  From programs aimed at generating clean electricity using coal to those that would promote the development of liquid transportation fuels from coal, Rahall has long worked to clear the way for coal to address our energy challenges more cleanly, efficiently, and affordably.   Looking ahead to intensifying international competition for energy and an increasing awareness of climate change, Rahall remains determined to help find workable, long-term solutions to America’s energy challenges.