MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) protects the safety and health of the Nation's miners by applying the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. This request provides additional resources to focus more attention on safety and on serious health problems in the mining industry. The budget requests $242.2 million and 2,357 FTE for FY 2001, an increase of $14.2 million and 40 FTE from FY 2000.

Enforcement: Coal
The Coal Mine Safety and Health activity is responsible for ensuring the safety and health of the Nation's coal miners through periodic regular inspections, special investigations, special emphasis programs, and compliance and training assistance. Recent MSHA and NIOSH pilot chest x-ray screening programs have identified high incident rates of occupational lung disease among certain coal mining populations. A request of $500 thousand will provide free chest x-rays to coal miners and would allow MSHA to assess the effectiveness of the Agency's respirable dust program.

Enforcement: Metal/Nonmetal
Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety and Health ensures safe and healthful working environment in the Nation's metal and nonmetal mines and mills through periodic regular inspections, special investigations, and compliance and training assistance. A request of $3.2 million and 40 FTE is included to respond to the growth of the metal and nonmetal mining industry. These funds will help MSHA ensure that miners are provided the required training and will allow for better auditing of accident and injury reporting.

Enforcement: Standards Development
The Standards Development activity provides for the development and promulgation of mandatory safety and health standards to ensure the best protection for the health and safety of all miners.

Assessments
The primary functions of the Assessments activity are to assess civil monetary penalties for all violations of the Mine Safety and Health Act, account for all penalty cases in litigation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and the Federal courts, and collect and account for all penalties received.

Educational Policy and Development
The Educational Policy and Development activity develops and coordinates MSHA's mine safety and health education and training policies, delivers on-site training assistance to mines throughout the country, and provides classroom instruction at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy for MSHA personnel and other members of the mining industry. The request includes $1.5 million for MSHA's State grant program to provide training assistance to miners and mine operators.

Technical Support
The Technical Support activity applies engineering and scientific expertise through field and laboratory forensic investigations to resolve technical problems associated with implementation of the Mine Act; administers a fee program to approve equipment, materials, and explosives for use in mines; and collects and analyzes data relative to the cause, frequency, and circumstances of accidents. MSHA is proposing to add appropriations language in FY 2001 authorizing the retention of fees up to $1 million to be collected for the approval and certification of equipment, materials, and explosives for use in mines. Additionally, $300 thousand is requested to enhance MSHA's capacity for rapid response to mine emergency operations by improving its mine emergency equipment to evaluate underground conditions without risking lives.

Program Administration
The Program Administration activity provides leadership, policy direction, program policy evaluation and administrative support services for MSHA's safety and health programs. This budget proposes to establish a $1 million contingency fund to cover the costs of mine emergency recovery and rescue operations in years when these costs are unexpectedly high (over $1 million).

* Incidence rates represent the number of injuries that occur for each 200,000 employee-hours worked.