|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Representative George Miller (D-CA) today issued a new report that shows that the Bush Administration has systematically undermined health and safety protections for American mine workers by putting the interests of mine operators ahead of rigorous enforcement of the law. The report was prepared at Miller’s request by the Democratic staff of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.
“This report clearly shows that the Bush Administration has put mine workers’ lives at greater risk by putting the interests of mining company executives ahead of the enforcement of critical workplace health and safety rules,” said Miller, the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee. “Most troubling, the Administration has scrapped or delayed 18 regulations that would have improved health and safety conditions in mines without putting onerous burdens on mine operators. These actions represent a shocking abdication of the Administration’s responsibilities to protect the lives of American mine workers.”
The report’s key findings include:
- Between 2001 and 2005, the Bush Administration delayed, weakened, or withdrew a total of at least 18 regulations intended to protect the health and safety of mine workers. At least three of those regulations were intended to boost safety measures that could have directly affected the outcomes at the Sago and Alma mines in West Virginia.
- In addition to delaying or withdrawing these safety regulations, the Bush Administration also adopted a regulation that weakens safeguards against fires on conveyor belts in mines. At the Alma mine in West Virginia where two miners were killed earlier this month, investigators suspect a conveyor belt fire may have been to blame.
- From 1996 to 2000, the Clinton Administration proposed fining coal operators the maximum fine allowed under law a total of 118 times, according to an analysis of MSHA data. From 2001 to 2005, the Bush Administration proposed the maximum allowable fine just 37 times.
- A number of President Bush’s top political appointees to MSHA previously worked in executive or management operations at mining companies.
- Since 2001, the Bush Administration has underfunded and understaffed MSHA. For example, the coal enforcement division lost 190 full-time positions between 2001 and 2005 due to budget cuts.
Miller renewed his call, first made on January 4, for Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), the Chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, to convene immediate hearings into the cause of the disasters at the Sago and Alma mines. Miller said that MSHA, in light of its troubling track record on oversight and enforcement issues, cannot be trusted to investigate itself. He said that a Congressional investigation is urgently needed to learn what actions must be taken to prevent future tragedies.
“Only Congress can properly review these tragedies. There is absolutely no legitimate excuse for the key committee in Congress to simply ignore this issue. Chairman Boehner should not allow another day to pass without calling hearings,” said Miller.
The report recommends that MSHA immediately return to a focus on enforcing the law – rather than focusing on “compliance assistance” even when mine operators routinely violate the law. It also says that MSHA should immediately ensure that all miners have life-saving equipment and technology that is already in use overseas and in some U.S. mines.
President Bush is likely to address the issue of mine safety in his State of the Union speech tonight and Miller warned that, based on the findings of this new report, “The public and the press should approach the President’s rhetoric on mine safety with extreme caution.”
For a PDF copy of the report, click here: http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/pdf/minesafetyreport.pdf.
### |
|
