Training funds total more than $8.3 million in fiscal year 2009 ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced it has allocated more than $8.3 million in health and safety training grants for fiscal year 2009, up from last year's distribution of $8.2 million.
"Comprehensive education and training for miners is a sound investment," said Dr. Gregory R. Wagner, MSHA's deputy assistant secretary for policy. "These grants will enable participating states to work toward a goal that we all share – ensuring every miner returns home safely at the end of every working shift. At the Department of Labor, our mantra is 'good jobs for everyone.' A good job is a safe job." Grantees will use the funds to provide federally mandated training to miners. The grants cover training and retraining of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, including miners engaged in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations.
Training grant funds are being awarded to 47 states* and the Navajo Nation. States applied for the grants, which are administered by state mine inspectors' offices, state departments of labor, and state-supported colleges and universities. Each recipient tailors the program to its miners' individual needs and provides technical assistance. The grants are given to states upon receipt and approval of their applications. Rhode Island and Connecticut received joint funding, as did Delaware and Pennsylvania.
The state grant program was authorized by the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969. States first received funding in 1971 to provide health and safety training to miners.
Editor's Note: A chart following this news release lists recipient states, along with the Navajo Nation, including the amount of each grant.
* Connecticut is being awarded one grant to conduct training for miners in that state as well as Rhode Island. Pennsylvania is being awarded one grant to conduct training for miners in that state as well as Delaware.
MSHA State Health and Safety Training Grants State Total ALABAMA $196,415 ALASKA $50,302 ARIZONA $282,846 ARKANSAS $97,799 CALIFORNIA $333,384 COLORADO $207,153 CONNECTICUT $53,258 FLORIDA $168,858 GEORGIA $189,860 IDAHO $91,146 ILLINOIS $216,548 INDIANA $188,669 IOWA $113,767 KANSAS $81,783 KENTUCKY $617,956 LOUISIANA $80,381 MAINE $54,858 MARYLAND $56,949 MASSACHUSETTS $64,636 MICHIGAN $212,139 MINNESOTA $269,624 MISSISSIPPI $59,969 MISSOURI $203,748 MONTANA $135,335 NAVAJO NATION $26,424 NEBRASKA $65,593 NEVADA $231,521 NEW HAMPSHIRE $40,054 NEW JERSEY $49,185 NEW MEXICO $145,027 NEW YORK $254,882 NORTH CAROLINA $150,765 NORTH DAKOTA $57,639 OHIO $258,797 OKLAHOMA $106,133 OREGON $104,094 PENNSYLVANIA $525,147 SOUTH CAROLINA $64,814 SOUTH DAKOTA $58,396 TENNESSEE $137,702 TEXAS $423,079 UTAH $169,366 VERMONT $69,393 VIRGINIA $264,692 WASHINGTON $146,128 WEST VIRGINIA $554,548 WISCONSIN $189,277 WYOMING $190,466 Total $8,310,504
