Capito Appears Before House Committee to Express Concerns Over Mine Safety Bill: Announces Plans to Introduce Legislation to Make Mine Safety Standards More Efficient and Effective

Press Release

Today, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. Va, testified before the House Education and Labor Committee to urge her colleagues to work together to keep our miners safe and to prevent future mining disasters.

The Committee convened to discuss the Mine Safety and Health Act (H.R. 5663), introduced by Rep. George Miller, D-CA, on July 1, 2010. Capito raised concerns over H.R. 5663, arguing that the bill lacks targeted, incremental reforms. She called upon her colleagues to work together, as they have in past years, to find common ground on important issues concerning mine safety.

"We all agree that the safety of our miners is paramount. However, I believe that passing sweeping regulatory reform does not in itself ensure the safety of the miners. That's why I will soon introduce legislation that builds upon what we learned in today's Committee hearing in order to make mine safety standards as efficient and effective as possible," stated Capito.

Capito's legislation, set to be introduced this week, seeks to streamline the permit appeal process, establish a completely independent federal agency to investigate mining disasters, require that inspectors receive annual training and encourage operators to work with employees to institute a behavior based safety system.

"My bill is neither a Democrat bill nor a Republican bill. Rather, it's a good faith effort to give everyone involved in mine safety, from inspectors to operators to the miners themselves, the resources they want, need and deserve to run a safe mine," concluded Capito.

In April, 29 miners were killed at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, the worst coal mine disaster in America in 40 years.

Source