The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a public hearing on January 31 on legislation to modernize Pennsylvania’s 1961 bituminous mine safety law.

Expected to provide testimony are: DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty, former DEP Secretary David Hess, Edward D. Yankovich, Jr., International District Vice President of the United Mine Workers and George Ellis of the Pennsylvania Coal Association.

Two bills are pending in the General Assembly-- Senate Bill 949 (Kasunic-D-Somerset) and the companion bill-- House Bill 2229 (Bastian-R-Somerset), in the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee.

The bills contain recommendations made as a result of 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 accidentally mining into them.

Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) chairs the Senate Environmental Committee along with Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne) who is Democratic Chair.

NewsClip: Sen. Mary Jo White Previews Hearing in Podcast

Link: Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation, Somerset

1/27/2006