Coal Mine Health and Safety Message to the Congress Transmitting a Report of Health Activities Under the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith the Fifth Annual report on Health Activities of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) as required by the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.

I recommend that the statutory reporting requirement for this report be changed from once every year to once every three years. HEW staff resources and time could be better spent on more research rather than on the preparation of annual reports of largely repetitious material. Basic information in this field has been known for some time, and new findings develop only slowly and infrequently. All of the information contained in this report is available to Congress during annual appropriations and oversight hearings, and HEW will inform Congress immediately of any scientific break-throughs in the field.

JIMMY CARTER

The White House,

March 8, 1977.