U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum this week announced that the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration has awarded a $495,284 grant to provide mine safety and health training education to miners in Pennsylvania.

"The accidents at the Sago and Quecreek mines have brought to national attention the need for enhanced safety measures to protect miners from the inherit hazards of their jobs," said Senator Specter. "This funding will provide Pennsylvania miners with proper training and tools necessary to prevent future hazards."

"Given the recent tragedy at the Sago Mine in West Virginia and the Quecreek Mine rescue in Somerset County in 2002, we are all well aware of the dangers associated with mining," said Senator Santorum. "As the grandson of a coal miner, I understand the hazards and health risks that a coal miner faces. This funding will play a vital role in keeping our Pennsylvania miners safe and healthy, and nothing is more important than that."

The funds will be used to provide federally mandated training and retraining to miners working at coal, metal and nonmetal mines. Each grantee will tailor the program to meet its state miners' individual needs.

Senator Specter will hold a hearing on the Sago Mine incident on January 23 in his Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Senator Santorum recently sent a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to formally request hearings dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of coal mine safety and how it can be improved.

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