Rockefeller, Harkin renew mine-safety push

Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have introduced sweeping mine-safety legislation in response to last April’s fatal blast at West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch mine that killed 29 workers, the worst U.S. mining accident in 40 years.

Harkin said he’s hopeful about winning bipartisan cooperation on the legislation, which is also sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

“We now know that the Upper Big Branch tragedy was preventable and that, if our laws were working properly, all miners would be able to come home safely to their families each day,” said Harkin, the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in a statement.

“We can’t afford to wait any longer for our broken mine safety laws to be fixed. I hope I can work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this important issue, and I am proud to join Senators Rockefeller, Murray, and Manchin in taking this first step and laying out our vision for safer mines,” he added.

The bill’s many provisions include toughened whistleblower protections; a new independent panel to probe mining accidents that kill more than three people; higher criminal and civil penalties; and several measures that toughen Mine Safety and Health Administration regulation.

For instance, it gives regulators more power to halt dangerous practices at mines.

“Currently, MSHA has limited authority to pursue injunctive relief in court when there are serial violations that present a risk to the health and safety of miners. MSHA will have the authority to pursue an injunction to stop these dangerous practices when there is a course of conduct that constitutes a continuing hazard to the health and safety of miners,” a summary states.

Rockefeller also noted in a statement, “We absolutely must fix the process for safety enforcement at mines with repeated violations.”