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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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DeWeese hails miner safety legislation agreement
HARRISBURG, June 30 – House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, today announced an agreement among the House, Senate and Gov. Ed Rendell to update Pennsylvania’s nearly 50-year-old Bituminous Coal Mine Act to include stronger miner safety standards.
DeWeese said the agreement comes following months of discussions among the General Assembly, Rendell administration, state Department of Environmental Protection, United Mine Workers of America and the Pennsylvania Coal Association.
"It has been more than 45 years since those who toil within the earth’s recesses have had improvements made to the law which governs their daily safety," DeWeese said. "The mining industry has changed immensely, with operations employing state-of-the-art equipment and technology that was never conceived as possible by the authors of the 1961 law.
"I have been working to make sure this legislature provides the hard-working miners of the Commonwealth the best mine safety laws in the nation, and I am delighted to say we have reached that goal."
The legislation (S.B. 949) was amended in the House in May to include stronger miner safety language and returned to the Senate for its consideration. Discussions continued at that time and culminated in today's agreement.
A key provision DeWeese fought for will permit a representative of the miners, selected by at least two miners, to accompany a state inspector on mine inspections, also known as "walk around rights." The representative must be employed by the mine being inspected.
DeWeese said the House is expected to vote and send the bill to Rendell this week.
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