Senator Byrd digs up millions more for mine safety

by: Carnacki

Tue Jun 26, 2007 at 20:30:34 PM EDT

Millions of dollars meant to trigger key provisions of the federal MINER Act, a sweeping coal safety law inspired largely by tragedies in his home state, have been landed by Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia.

Byrd’s efforts resulted in $13 million beyond what President Bush suggested to enhance the ability of the Mine Safety and Health Administration to perform all mandatory inspections, train new inspectors, expedite the issuance of standards and regulations on belt-air and refuge chambers and improve the transfer of technology.

“We have seen some progress since the MINER Act was passed, but too many delays,” Byrd, a Democrat, said. “The longer there are delays in implementing the new federal standards, the longer coal miners’ lives are placed needlessly at risk. We’ve got to take steps to save lives. The longer we wait to make positive changes in mine safety, the more risk coal miners face on the job.”

snip

Byrd said the funding assures that MSHA can perform its mission in mine safety so that the welfare of workers won’t be “compromised for personal profit or politics.”

“I am proud to be leading the fight to protect our miners; it is a moral responsibility and will not stop until I know that miners and their families have the best protections and the best safety enforcement possible,” the senator said.

Entire story well worth a read. Keep in mind the rightwingers of the GOP would just as well let the mine owners write the mine safety regulations and do away with safety enforcement.