2007 Mine Health and Safety Initiative

Legislation introduced in the House (H.R. 2768, H.R. 2769) on June 19 consists of the following provisions to improve health and safety in the nation’s coal mines. (Read Chairman George Miller's statement on the initiative »)

Use proven technology to help prevent underground emergencies and protect miners’ lives after accidents:

• Ban the practice of ventilating mines with belt air and require the half-century old standard on conveyor belt flammability to be updated
• Require the installation of underground gas and smoke monitoring systems, and require miners working alone to carry multi-gas detectors to protect them from otherwise undetectable toxic atmospheres they may encounter
• Require a study by the National Academy of Sciences of the technology needed to help protect underground miners from the harmful potential consequences of lightning above the mine
• Speed up the dates by which mine operators must install improved underground communication systems and refuge chambers

Enhance MSHA’s enforcement authority:

• Clarify the authority of mine inspectors to be free of interference and to issue withdrawal orders in emergencies
• Enhance penalties for a “pattern of violations” and for retaliation against miners who report safety or health violations
• Provide MSHA with subpoena power equivalent to that of other agencies
• Establish an independent ombudsman to ensure proper attention to miner complaints of unsafe conditions and to protect whistleblowers from retaliation

Improve rescue, recovery and accident investigation authority:

• Establish a national call center to respond to emergencies
• Require timely reporting of near misses to MSHA
• Require the procedures for accident investigations to be standardized
• Ensure witness coercion and conflict of interests during investigations are avoided
• Allow supplemental investigations by the independent Chemical Safety Board, if requested by miners, or their representatives or families

Reduce miners’ exposure to coal dust:

• Reduce the amount of coal dust to which miners can be exposed in accordance with NIOSH recommendations
• Require miners be equipped with the new personal dust monitors developed and certified by NIOSH, and authorize miners to adjust their activities to avoid overexposure
• Set an independent standard for silica exposure in accordance with NIOSH recommendations

Address other critical hazards in the mines:

• Require MSHA to use the existing asbestos exposure standard applicable to most American workers rather that the weaker standard for asbestos now applicable to miners
• Require MSHA to use the original hazard communication standard issued in October 2000, which was later weakened by the Bush administration, in order to provide mine workers the most recent scientific information on workplace health risks
• Require MSHA to update the list of permissible exposure limits in its air contaminants standard to reflect the recommended exposure limits established by NIOSH