Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Releases Plan to Protect Miners and Improve Mine Safety

Initiatives will prioritize miners' safety above corporate interests by preventing accidents and strengthening enforcement

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – In advance of today's Senate hearing on mine safety, Senator John Edwards released his plan to improve mine safety and protect American miners. Edwards also promised he would hire leaders at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to transform the agency from apologist for mine owners to its intended role as aggressive protector of mine safety.

"Washington isn't working for working Americans," said Edwards. "Rather than take the strong actions needed to protect America's miners, it has relied on voluntary measures and inadequate half steps. And the agencies charged with protecting them have been staffed with industry lobbyists and insiders. When it comes to worker safety, we cannot compromise with the mine owners and Washington insiders who represent their interests."

Mining is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. In the last 20 months, 71 coal miners and 48 metal non-metal miners have been killed on the job. Edwards believes we have to break the cycle of just reacting to disasters like the ones that occurred at the Sago, Darby, Aracoma and Huntington mines.

On Labor Day, the United Steelworkers (USW) and the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) endorsed Senator John Edwards for president. Representing 1.2 million workers and retirees, the USW is the nation's largest private sector industrial union. The UMWA represents 105,000 active and retired coal miners, municipal employees, health care workers and manufacturing workers in North America. Their membership includes more coal miners than any union in the world.

As part of his plan to make miners safer, Edwards will:

Prevent Accidents: Edwards supports legislation that would help prevent accidents by requiring stronger mine seals, imposing stricter standards for conveyor belts to reduce the risk of sparks and mandating methane monitoring to prevent fires, explosions and toxic inhalation.

Improve Emergency Systems: Edwards believes mine operators should be required to install state of the art emergency systems immediately. He will also strengthen the MSHA's ability to act in the event of an emergency, and make sure they use their authority to protect lives and support miners' families.

Eradicate Black Lung Disease: Edwards supports new limits on coal dust and stricter monitoring requirements that would eliminate black lung disease in American mines once and for all.

Strengthen Enforcement: Edwards will strengthen the MSHA by helping to retain experienced inspectors and train new ones, by appointing leaders who restore the agency's original purpose and by increasing penalties for the worst safety violations to deter mine owners from cutting corners.

Help Injured Workers: Edwards will stand up for injured workers by undertaking a comprehensive national study of the workers compensation system and will use the bully pulpit of the White House to urge states to create a fair and rational system that provides clear timelines and options for injured workers.

Give More Miners a Collective Voice for Safety: Edwards supports strengthening federal labor laws to make it easier for workers to join a union and collectively bargain for better working conditions.

A detailed fact sheet outlining Edwards' plan to protect miners and improve mine safety is below.

Fighting to Protect America's Miners

"When it comes to worker safety, we cannot compromise with the mine owners and Washington insiders who represent their interests. We cannot rest until the laws that protect America's miners make their work as safe as possible." - John Edwards

Mining is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. In the last 20 months, 71 coal miners and 48 metal non-metal miners have been killed on the job. But Washington doesn't work for working Americans. Rather than take the strong actions needed to protect America's miners, it has relied on voluntary measures and inadequate half steps. And the agencies charged with protecting them have been staffed with industry lobbyists and insiders. [MSHA, 2007; [FMSHRC, Undated; Beacham, 2006]

John Edwards believes we have to break the cycle of just reacting to disasters like the ones that occurred at the Sago, Darby, Aracoma and Huntington mines. As president, Edwards will fight to make America's miners safer by enacting a bold set of reforms, including those proposed in the Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act. Edwards will hire leaders at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to transform the agency from apologist for mine owners to its intended role as aggressive protector of mine safety.

Preventing Accidents: Stronger seals would keep explosions in abandoned mine areas from wreaking havoc in active mining areas. Safer conveyor belt systems would reduce the risk of sparks causing fires. Excess mine methane increases the risk of fire, explosions and toxic inhalation. Edwards supports legislation that would help prevent accidents by requiring stronger seals, imposing stricter standards for conveyor belts and mandating methane monitoring. We must also take steps to ensure that miners at non-coal mines benefit from recent safety improvements mandated for coal miners.

Improving Emergency Systems: When accidents do happen, we must prevent them from becoming tragedies. The disaster at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah highlights the need to implement better communications systems in all mines immediately. Emergency refuges could have prevented harm at Sago and Darby. Edwards believes mine operators should be required to install state of the art emergency systems immediately. He will also strengthen the MSHA's ability to act in the event of an emergency, and make sure they use their authority to protect lives and support miners' families.

Eradicating Black Lung Disease: Black lung disease, caused by inhaling coal dust, kills 1,500 miners annually. In Kentucky, the problem is actually getting worse – deaths rose 38 percent between 1998 and 2004. A federal advisory committee's key recommendations on how to stamp out the disease still haven't been implemented almost a decade after they were issued. Edwards supports new limits on coal dust and stricter monitoring requirements that would eliminate black lung disease in American mines once and for all. [UMWA, Undated; Courier-Journal, 6/24/2007]

Strengthening Enforcement: Stronger laws do little good when they are not enforced. The agency charged with enforcing mine safety laws has lost more than 150 employees since George Bush became president. The MSHA has signed off on mining plans that should never have been approved – like the plan for Crandall Canyon. The man Bush picked to head the MSHA came to the job with a record of managing coal mines with worker injury rates double the national average. Edwards will strengthen the MSHA by helping to retain experienced inspectors and train new ones, by appointing leaders who restore the agency's original purpose and by increasing penalties for the worst safety violations to deter mine owners from cutting corners. And because enforcement cannot be left to government alone, he supports stronger protections for workers who report injuries or unsafe conditions. [OPM, 2001 and 2007; The NewStandard, 10/25/05]

Helping Injured Workers: An effective and honest workers compensation system is essential to making sure that workers injured on the job are treated fairly. John Edwards will stand up for injured workers by undertaking a comprehensive national study of the workers compensation system. He will use the bully pulpit of the White House to urge states to create a fair and rational system that provides clear timelines and options for injured workers.

Giving More Miners a Collective Voice for Safety: Union mines are safer than non-union mines. Training at a union mine is strictly enforced. In unionized mines, miners can't be fired for speaking up about safety conditions. In these mines, the owners can't brazenly challenge inspectors' findings. However, mine owners often intimidate workers who try to organize a union. Edwards supports strengthening federal labor laws that make it easier for workers to join a union and collectively bargain for better working conditions. [McCollester, 2006]