HARRISBURG – Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty lauded the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee’s unanimous passage of Senate Bill 949 as good news for Pennsylvania miners and their families.
“Today’s committee vote marks a monumental first step in updating an antiquated law and better protecting Pennsylvania’s miners,” said McGinty following the committee meeting, which she attended. “It’s been more than 47 years since the state’s deep mine safety law has been updated, but with the support this bill enjoys across the spectrum—from the administration and legislature, to the labor unions and coal companies— we’re optimistic that it will move swiftly to the Governor’s desk.”
Pennsylvania’s mine safety law was first written in 1870 and it was last updated in 1961.
S.B. 949 creates a seven-member Board of Coal Mine Safety that would be chaired by the secretary of DEP, with equal representation among mine owners and mine workers. The board will have the authority to write new mine safety regulations—something the department is currently unable to do through existing statute.
“We should be able to use 21st century technology to protect our miners,” said McGinty. “We shouldn’t be hampered by a 19th century law. This board will enable the department to keep pace with new developments and to ensure the latest technology is at work for a safe environment underground.
The legislation would also put into law the safety initiatives that were enacted administratively by Gov. Edward G. Rendell following the 2002 Quecreek Mine accident in Somerset County, in which nine miners were rescued after being trapped underground for 78 hours. These provisions include:
• Requiring safety officials to review every mine permit application and say “No” if they think unsafe conditions may exist;
• Implementing stringent new requirements to validate and verify underground mine maps before new mining can take place; and
• Increasing the distance between planned mining and abandoned mines from 200 feet to 500 feet to provide an extra measure of security so miners don’t accidentally breech an abandoned mine pool, as happened at Quecreek.
The administration has developed and implemented training for managing mine inundation, as well as continuing-education programs for mining professionals, mine managers and mine inspectors. The commonwealth has also increased salaries for engineers, inspectors and training staff in order to be more competitive when recruiting and maintaining quality safety professionals.
DEP invested $415,000 to purchase 48 new, self-contained breathing units for use by underground mine rescue teams that replace equipment that was more than 30 years old. The units are housed at three mine rescue stations in Cambria, Fayette and Schuylkill counties.
Additionally, the department is in the process of evaluating possible sites for a new mine rescue station in northern Indiana County and southern Jefferson County. This new, state-the-art facility will house modern equipment to aid in rescue efforts while cutting response time to many areas in half.
“Pennsylvania coal miners work hard every day to help meet our energy needs,” said McGinty. “We must do all we can to make sure every miner returns safely home to his or her family at the end of a shift, and this legislation will help to accomplish that.”
The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.