The Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee has scheduled a hearing on legislation to improve safety in underground coal mines for January 31. An agenda of witnesses will be forthcoming.

Senate Bill 949 (Kasunic-D-Somerset) is pending in the Senate and House Bill 2229 (Bastian-R-Somerset) is in the House that would modernize Pennsylvania’s deep mine safety law based on experiences gleaned from the Quecreek Mine Rescue and additional suggestions made by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Senate Bill 949 contains several key changes recommended in reports investigating the causes of the Quecreek mine accident, as well as other changes, including—

· Providing authority to update safety requirements by regulation without needing changes in law;

· Authorizing DEP to take enforcement actions against mine operators who violate mine safety laws, not just individuals;

· Creating a digitized mine map repository to better locate abandoned and working mines;

· Clarifying the authority of DEP during a mine rescue operation; and

· Requiring applicants for new mines to provide hard evidence of where abandoned mine workings are to avoid accidently mining into them.

The Senate Committee is chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) and Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne).

1/6/2006