Congress Considers Measures To Improve Coal Mine Safety

摘要

In an article for The Parthenon, Nathan Barham noted that the U.S. Congress was making efforts to make mines safer. The Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2011, which proposes changes to mine safety legislation, is currently being discussed in the U.S. Senate. This bill was introduced by Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) in January. The one-year anniversary of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster highlighted the need for improvements in mine safety and the potential cost of other such disasters. Amongst other improvements, the bill includes a provision for an increase in the amount of refresher training which miners must undergo every 12 months. The bill is currently before the Senate Committee on health, education, labor and pensions.