Byrd Moves to Preserve Coal Mine Safety: ; Funds

Sen. Robert C. Byrd has again moved to block Bush administration efforts to reduce funding for coal enforcement by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The West Virginia Democrat pushed the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject a $10 million cut Bush proposed for MSHA coal enforcement in the 2009 financial year budget.

And, Byrd succeeded in increasing MSHA coal enforcement spending by $4.4 million over the current year. That replaces money that the Labor Department had transferred from MSHA’s coal unit to the agency’s metal/nonmetal unit and the MSHA solicitor to defend agency citations appealed by the industry.

The appropriations panel approved a $155 million budget for MSHA’s coal unit in its spending bill for the 2009 financial year, which starts Oct. 1. The legislation now goes to the full Senate.

“As long as there are miners in the field, we share a moral responsibility to do all that we can to make sure they return home safely to their families,” Byrd said. “I am hopeful that we will look back on this period and see that mine safety took a major leap forward.”

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