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The first hearing stemming from the mine disaster in Upshur County, W.Va., will be held later this month, Senator Byrd announced Monday.
"The families of the Sago miners deserve to know what happened in that mine. Just as importantly, miners and their families across this country want to know that steps are being taken to prevent others from ever experiencing such pain," Byrd said.
Byrd, the leading Democratic Senator on the Appropriations Committee, has worked with Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa -- the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education -- to schedule the mine safety hearing on January 19, 2006. Federal and state mining officials, as well as representatives of labor, business, and academia with expertise in mine safety, will be invited to testify at the hearing.
"The investigation at the Upshur County mine will tell us what caused that deadly explosion. But one conclusion is already evident: it’s time for the decisions affecting America’s miners to be made with their best interests at heart. That should be the legacy of the Sago miners," Byrd said.
"In Congress, there are tough questions to be asked of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Is enforcement of coal mining regulations tough enough? Are the regulations on the books today current enough to handle the challenges posed by 21st century coal mining? Are mine hazards being minimized? These and other issues demand scrutiny, and the miners’ families deserve the answers," Byrd said. "I will work in the Senate to get the truth."
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