For weeks, the amazing rescue efforts that freed 69 Chilean miners caught the attention of millions of people around the world. Here at home, however, the plight of American miners is too often overlooked.
As the world watched the Chilean rescue, family and friends in Whitesville, West Virginia continued to mourn the tragic deaths of 29 miners lost in the April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. That explosion - the deadliest mining disaster in 40 years - prompted immediate calls for improvement in mining safety. But Congress has been slow to move on appropriate legislation, even though action is needed to prevent serious personal injury and wrongful death from happening again.
Seeking to respond to the Upper Big Branch mining disaster, the House of Representatives of a House committee approved the Robert C. Byrd Miner Safety and Health Act of 2010 (HR 5663) for consideration by the full body. This bill would give the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) greater investigative authority. It would also increase civil and criminal penalties and improve whistleblower protection.
There is also a sister bill in the Senate, the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2010 (SB3671). But that bill is still in committee.
The blame game for Congress' failure to act more quickly has already begun. Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), for one, points to partisan politics and obstructionists protecting Big Coal interests.
Partisan gridlock is certainly a familiar story in Washington, but that is not the only challenge to passing legislation to improve mining safety. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), one of the chief opponents of the current Senate miner safety bill, was the sponsor of previous legislation on the subject, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (the MINER Act). This was the first major overhaul of mining safety in 30 years. But many believe it did not go far enough to clarify the ability of federal regulators to intervene when a mining company has been cited repeatedly for safety violations.
Mining is still one of our nation's most dangerous occupations. In order to protect the future of the industry- and miners' lives - both government regulators and mining companies need to do a better job. It shouldn't take a terrible disaster like the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion to keep reminding them of that.
