The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee amended and reported out legislation updating the state’s Bituminous coal deep mine safety law and tabled legislation that would ban the use of plastic bags at retail stores.

Senate Bill 949 (Kasunic-D-Somerset) updating the Bituminous Coal Mine Safety Act was amended to include provisions sought by the United Mine Workers and reported from Committee. The bill was then referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

The bill is designed, in part, to prevent accidents like the one that occurred in the Quecreek Mine in 2002.

"After 47 years since the last major upgrades and almost six years after the Quecreek Mine Accident, Pennsylvania now has before it a deep-mine safety law worthy of the 21st century and the 4,200 miners whose lives depend on it," said Rep. George. "Today's changes make safety the priority and make good legislation better legislation."

News media reported the Senate is unlikely to accept the changes because they feel the changes violate the agreement negotiated between the Union, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Coal Association.

House Bill 2198 (Bennington-D-Allegheny), banning the use of plastic bags in stores, was tabled by the Committee. In response to groups opposing the ban, Rep. Bennington said she would prepare an amendment to the bill to eliminate the ban and require recycling of the bags instead and requested the bill be “set aside.” The Committee voted to table the bill.

Rep. Bud George (D-Clearfield) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Rep. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Minority Chair.

NewsClip: House Amends Mine Safety Bill, Senate Future Uncertain

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Editorial: Legislating Safety Can Be Dangerous

4/11/2008