Date: 1981-12-11
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. In the last 8 days. 27 coal miners have died in mine accidents. Last Thursday a week ago. three miners were killed in my home State of West Virginia at Bergoo. These miners died when a tunnel roof collapsed. This past Monday 8 miners wero killed In a methane gas explosion at Topmost. Ky. And then. the following day. another 13 miners were killed apparently by another methane gas explosion near Chattanooga. Tenn. In addition. three miners were killed during the past week at separate surface coal mine sites. Mr. President. this total of 27 mine deaths is unusual In such a short period. But. It Is even more tragic that these miners have died in accidents which are generally considered to be preventable by increased inspection efforts. And I believe It Is also tragic. Indeed shameful. that at a time when we are relying more and more on our coal miners to provide increased energy supplies for this Nation. and we are asking those miners to go into deeper mines and expose themselves to even greater hazards. the administration has proposed to reduce the very inspection program which Is designed to protect the safety and health of these miners. The President. in his September budget request would have reduced the 1982 funding 1evel for the Mine Safety and Health Administration by 12 percent to $138 million. I opposed the Presidents proposal. and other proposals to reduce this program. in commI ttee and managed. with the help of Senator SPECTER and other Senators on the committee. to preserve $155 million for the Mine Safety and Health Administration in 1982. I understand that because of the construction of the continuing resolution this amount will be reduced by $2 million when the lower of the House or Senate funding is Included for each activity. and that another $6 million would be cut by the acrosstheboard reduction contained In this Joint rsolution. Total funding for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. then. would be $147 million. This Is at least $6 million less than the 1981 level and the effect of this reduction Is aggravated by the present high rate of inflation. This Is not the time to turn our back on the Nations minersto ask them to risk their lives and then not be willing ourselves to fund an adequate safety and health Inspection program. *Mr. President. a total.:of 143 miners have died so far this year. We can do nothing to help them. But for the more than onehalf million individuals who labol. in this Nations mines. we can. and I believe we must. Provide better and more frequent safety and health inspections to reduce the risks which they face daily. than the funding in this resolution will allow. Taking into consideration. as I say. the fact that it will be at least $6 million less than the 1981 level. and since the effect of that redijction is comnpounded by the factor of inflation. Mr. President. I am seeking at this time simply to exempt the Mine Safety and Health Administration from the 4percent reduction which would otherwise be applied. My amendment would restore $6 million for mine safety and health programsa small price of less than 3 cents from each American to help protect the lives of our miners. Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that an article which appeared In the New York Times on December 10. 1981. relatedto these mine disasters. be reprinted In the RECORD.