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“MINE IMPROVEMENT AND NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT OF 2006 (S. 2803)” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1182-E1183 on June 16, 2006.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MINE IMPROVEMENT AND NEW EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACT OF 2006 (S. 2803)
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HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 16, 2006
Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, the recent tragedies of the Sago and Aracoma Alma mine disasters have been a difficult lesson in the efforts to improve mine safety regulations effectively and permanently. I rise today in strong support of long overdue coal miner safety legislation. Unfortunately, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, S. 2803, while an improvement over current law, neglects to address three simple, much-needed reforms that could save lives.
I cannot support the bill before us today because I support stronger improvements to miner safety--which have been supported by miners, miner families, and industry. This legislation would be made stronger with three additional requirements: Provision of no less than a 2-day supply of breathable air for trapped miners; Assurance that within 15 months, communications and tracking devices will be available to find and communicate with trapped miners; regular inspections of miners' individual oxygen packs, known as self-contained self-rescuers, by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Congress can do better for working men and women by adopting these three provisions. In fact, since this bill passed the Senate, reports have indicated that these reforms could be easily implemented at very little cost. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership would not allow these simple and agreeable provisions to be offered as amendments to the bill.
The Bush administration has failed to make miner safety a priority and instead has proposed budget cuts and deregulation. Despite six U.S. mine tragedies and more than 30 miners' deaths this year already, the President did not request funding for additional safety enforcement personnel in his Fiscal Year 2007 budget. This proposal is after years of budget cuts to the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA, resulting in a decline of 170 full-time employees at MSHA and a decline of 217 employees in coal enforcement. In addition, President Bush has appointed former mining executives to the top political positions at the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
I will continue to support efforts to implement stronger miner safety laws. I oppose this bill and urge my colleagues in joining with me to fight for stronger regulations that will save lives and to fight for our working men and women.
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