A Senate panel will hold a hearing this week to address mine safety issues as the administration finalizes rulemaking meant to protect workers.
Congress held numerous hearings and weighed mine safety bills after the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. The issue has been less prominent in recent years.
This week the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety — chaired by Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) — will hold a hearing titled, “Digging Deeper for Health and Safety: Examining New Standards and Practices in Mining.”
The hearing comes after the administration finalized rulemaking this year to crack down on silica dust that can hurt workers’ lungs. And last year the administration released a rule to protect workers from mobile equipment.
