Capito Introduces Legislation to Protect West Virginia Miners

Capito Introduces Legislation to Protect West Virginia Miners

In response to the Sago and Alma mine tragedies, U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) today introduced legislation to better ensure the safety of West Virginia's miners by drastically reforming mine safety regulations. The legislation was cosponsored by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV).

The legislation, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006 (MINER Act), is the House companion bill to legislation introduced by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee). Chairman Enzi's bill, cosponsored by Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), was unanimously passed by the Senate HELP Committee earlier this week.

"The Sago and Alma mine disasters are dark spots in our nation's history that we can never let happen again," said Capito. "At the very least, the federal government owes it to the family members who lost loved ones on those horrible days to reform our outdated mining regulations to ensure our coal miners' safety. I am very encouraged by the bipartisan support this legislation has in both the House and the Senate, and I look forward to working with House leadership to advance this important legislation."

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http://capito.house.gov/press_office/detail-page.aspx?id=170&whichone=pr