Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2007

SUPPLEMENTAL MINE IMPROVEMENT AND NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - January 16, 2008)

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Mrs. CAPITO. I'd like to thank the ranking member for his recognition.

Over the past several years, this country has witnessed a series of tragic mining disasters, starting with the 12 miners killed on January 3, 2006 at the Sago Mine in my district. I know the families, I know the communities, and this is a wound that will never heal. This tragedy was followed by more deaths in accidents around the country, and each of these disasters has identified and highlighted deficiencies in the protection afforded miners.

In response to Sago and the other mine disasters, Congress enacted the MINER Act. We did it in a bipartisan way. It was a very proud day for me, as a West Virginian, to stand with my fellow West Virginians, several Governors, the President of the United States. Members of my own community, from the Sago community, came to the signing to sign the MINER Act. I'm proud of that effort, and I'm proud of the efforts that the companies have moved forward to improve the safety since the enactment of the MINER Act. It has substantially tightened regulations and enforcement procedures, and the mining industry has made significant changes in operations and equipment to comply with the strengthened requirements.

A number of Federal agencies and several State agencies, West Virginia has been very aggressive in this regard, has pushed reforms to better respond to incidents that occur and how we can improve the chances of miners to survive a serious accident. Today more self-contained self-rescuers are being stored underground than in the past, and that is a good positive first step.

With the success of the original MINER Act in mind, I do hold some reservations that additional legislation could complicate the safety improvements currently under way, and I am not alone in my concern. I encourage my colleagues to keep this in mind if this legislation moves forward.

Unfortunately, the events of Sago serve as a reminder that we must always strive to make America's mines as safe as they can possibly be.

This bill is flawed in many ways. The junior Senator from West Virginia has publicly expressed his concern, and I have concern that this bill will hold up some of the progress as it has moved forward.

But at the end of the day, for me, this is about those Sago miners, and their tragedies stay with me. My hope is that we can continue the good work that has moved forward as a result of the MINER Act. It is crucial that Congress continue to highlight mine safety so that the tragedies we've seen in West Virginia and across the Nation are not repeated.

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