As you know, the House is soon scheduled to vote on the Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (H.R. 2768). Also as you are aware, this is the second major rewrite of comprehensive mine safety laws in less than 16 months and it threatens the safety of our miners and management by creating confusion, complication and mixed signals. It will clearly interfere and, in many cases, impede or interrupt our serious pursuit of compliance with MINER ACT 2006. On behalf of the West Virginia coal industry and its more than 20,000 professional coal miners, we ask you to oppose H.R. 2768.
November 2, 2007
The Honorable
Dear Congressman(woman):
As you know, the House is soon scheduled to vote on the
Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act (H.R.
2768). Also as you are aware, this is the second major rewrite of
comprehensive mine safety laws in less than 16 months and it threatens
the safety of our miners and management by creating confusion,
complication and mixed signals. It will clearly interfere and, in many
cases, impede or interrupt our serious pursuit of compliance with MINER
ACT 2006. On behalf of the West Virginia coal industry and its more
than 20,000 professional coal miners, we ask you to oppose H.R. 2768.
Historically, you have been the vanguard for advancing
standards and policies that will practically and effectively improve
the safety of our miners. As you are well aware, West Virginia’s
industry and workforce have shared that leadership over the past year
and a half by aggressively implementing the requirements of MINER ACT
2006 and similar state laws. These efforts are continuing with
significant investment and cooperative pursuit of reasonable standards
for workplace conditions, practices and equipment. We feel confident
we are ahead of most in the nation as it regards compliance with the
new 2006 Act. The conflicting duplication of H.R. 2768 with the
sincere efforts of the past eighteen months will dilute, usurp, confuse
and, in many cases, dismantle the improvements we have achieved in the
safety of West Virginia mines and our valuable miners. The progress we
have demonstrated is a result of dedicated cooperation between
management and labor in West Virginia. The lack of practicality shown
in H.R. 2768 nullifies and disregards these cooperative achievements.
We are anxious to discuss specific components and details
of our opposition to this legislation and will gladly delineate the
points of conflict with the progressive accomplishments we have
achieved in mine safety since the passage and implementation of MINER
ACT 2006. We have not been asked to discuss, debate or provide any
input into this legislation and that, in of itself, is a major point of
concern. We question who has been included and involved as the
legislation is replete with impractical standards that will cause mine
safety to take backward steps.
We, in West Virginia, feel the most positive action from
Congress should be encouragement for the continued aggressive
implementation of MINER ACT 2006 without confusing and conflicting
signals from H.R. 2768. We ask that you oppose this legislation for
the sake of our miners and our industry.
Sincerely,
William B. Raney
President
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