Quecreek Mine Rescue

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week reported out House Bill 2619 (Bastian-R-Somerset) that establishes the Mine Families First Program to care for the families of miners involved in mine accidents.

The legislation is based on the lessons learned from the Quecreek Mine Rescue in 2002 where Gov. Schweiker required that mine families be continuously briefed on rescue efforts before the media and made sure that questions asked by mine families were answered.

House Bill 2619 directs the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a Mine Families First Program, including a communications plan to outline the steps the agency, mine owners and operators are to take to make sure the families of miners are kept informed of rescue efforts, kept secure and their needs taken care of. It also directs DEP to appoint a specific individual responsible to act as liaison between the agency and miner families.

The bill was referred to the House Rules Committee before the summer adjournment.

7/2/2006