Posts Tagged ‘MSHA’
Miners and supporters will rally to demand safeguards from black lung disease on Oct. 14
On Oct. 14, coal miners, members of the Black Lung Association and their supporters will rally in front of the Department of Labor’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., in opposition to the department’s delayed enforcement of silica dust protections for miners.
Read MoreHouse subcommittee to vote on cuts to mine safety tonight
On Labor Day, a House Appropriations Subcommittee released its draft funding proposal, which would cut funding levels for key mine safety agencies.
Read MoreMapping the decline of coal production
The decline of coal production in Appalachia has been ongoing for decades. We thought it would be useful to develop a way to visualize these trends across the region.
Read MoreAppalachian Voices applauds Senate Appropriations Committee for pushing back against cuts for black lung and miner safety programs
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2026 funding bill. The package includes funding for mine safety and black lung programs.
Read MoreAmid intense grassroots pressure, General Services Administration reverses closures of MSHA field offices
Reports indicated that the General Services Administration reversed its intent to close more than 30 U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration field offices. These leases were scheduled to be terminated due to decisions by the controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
Read MoreTighter silica rules needed to protect miners from black lung disease
Coal miners are legally allowed to be exposed to twice as much dangerous silica dust as any other worker. That needs to change.
Read MoreAudit Finds Mine Safety Penalties Ineffective
An August 2019 federal audit of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration found that mine safety penalties did not contribute to the overall safety of mining operations.
Read MoreJustice Coal Companies and Federal Agencies Enter Legal Battles
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family and their companies are involved in new lawsuits with federal mine safety and reclamation authorities.
Read MoreCoal Mine Deaths Rise in 2017, Agency to Reconsider Black Lung Rule
Coal mining fatalities are nearly double what they were last year, and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration announced it would revisit a rule intended to protect miners from black lung disease.
Read MoreCongressional Hearing on Stream Buffer Zone Neglects Residents
By Jamie Goodman On Sept. 26, a Congressional hearing took place in Charleston, W.Va. to discuss proposed revisions to the controversial stream buffer zone rule designed to further protect waterways in Appalachia. Conducted by Representatives Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) from the Subcommitte on Energy and Mineral Resources in Charleston, W.Va., the…
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