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For Immediate Release
June 30, 2008
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Senate Again Passes Comprehensive Mine Safety Bill
Harrisburg – A comprehensive mine safety bill that will provide for the first
rewrite of Pennsylvania’s mining laws in nearly half a century was approved by
the state Senate today, according Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21), who co-sponsored
the measure.
The Senate first passed
Senate Bill 949 in February, but the measure was amended in the House of
Representatives and returned. The bill will help improve coordination of mine
safety efforts and sets higher standards for mine operators and their employees.
"This overdue legislation brings Pennsylvania mine safety into the 21st
century with a host of new measures to prevent, prepare for and respond to
mining accidents and emergencies," said White who chairs the Senate
Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “Pennsylvania can be proud of its
first-rate mine safety program. This legislation will once again serve as a
national standard, and I urge the House to approve this bill quickly."
Senate Bill 949, sponsored by Senator Richard Kasunic (D-32), would create a
new Board of Coal Mine Safety to keep Pennsylvania’s mine safety standards
regularly updated. The seven member board will be chaired by the Secretary of
Environmental Protection, with equal representation from mine operators and mine
workers.
The legislation provides for greater legal responsibility for operators to
ensure mine safety, and enables the state to establish a central database of
mine maps, White said. It also addresses responses to accidents, requiring mine
operators to notify DEP within 15 minutes of an accident, and updates
ventilation and roof support requirements.
Senator White commended Gov. Rendell and DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty, as
well as Rep. Bill DeWeese, and Senators Musto and Kasunic for their work on the
bill. The senator expressed special appreciation to George Ellis of the
Pennsylvania Coal Association, whose members showed continued willingness to
find a reasonable compromise on the legislation.
Pennsylvania is the fourth-largest coal producer in the United States,
following Wyoming, West Virginia and Kentucky. Pennsylvania’s mine safety
statute was last updated in 1961.
Contact:
Pat
Henderson
(717) 787-9684
Overview of Senate Bill 949 (PDF) | 
