Last week, a mine safety bill passed the United States House Committee on Education and Labor and will now go to the full House for a vote. The Robert C. Byrd Miner Health and Safety Act is, at least in part, a response to the West Virginia Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed 29 miners last April.
If the bill passes the full House and Senate and is signed by President Obama, it will:
- Increase the potential criminal and civil fines against mine operators;
- Result in better enforcement tools to be used by the Mine Safety and Health Administration;
- Increase accountability for the Mine Safety and Health Administration;
- Provide additional protections for miners who report unsafe conditions; and
- Modernize safety equipment in mines.
The bill is designed to provide additional protection to miners and prevent some workplace injuries and fatalities.
