ARLINGTON, Va. — Ferraiolo Constructions Inc. and owner-president John Ferraiolo, operators of the Portable Pioneer Plant in Thomaston, Maine, will provide compensation to a former employee and take other corrective action to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that Coal River Mining LLC's Fork Creek No. 1 Mine in Lincoln County, W.Va., has been put on notice of a pattern of violations of mandatory health or safety standards under Section 104(e) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. An MSHA audit revealed that the mine operator failed to report miner injuries equivalent to 239 days of lost time during the review period.

ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement on the death of two miners at Star Mine Operations LLC's Revenue Mine in Ouray, Colo.:

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a summary of U.S. mining deaths that occurred during the third quarter of 2013. From July 1 to Sept. 30, there were nine mining fatalities in the United States. Five miners died in coal mining accidents and four in metal/nonmetal mining accidents. The number was two fewer than during the third quarter in 2012.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration this week launched its annual "Winter Alert" campaign, which warns coal mine operators and miners of the numerous hazards colder winter weather may cause for working miners. Statistics show that deadly mine explosions historically occur more often during October through March than during warmer periods.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 130 citations and 13 orders during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and one metal/nonmetal mine last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that it is recognizing Oct. 30 as Mine Rescue Day. The date was selected because of its historic significance. On Oct. 30, 1911, the first national mine rescue demonstration was held in the U.S. It was organized by Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, who in 1910 was appointed as the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines by President William Howard Taft. Holmes and Taft attended the inaugural event at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.

1 mine in Kentucky and 2 mines in West Virginia receive notices

Alert follows three fatalities over Oct. 4th weekend

ARLINGTON, Va. — Following three coal mine fatalities during Oct. 4-6, the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration is urging the mining industry to step up its compliance with safety and health regulations under the Mine Safety and Health Act and other applicable laws. Two fatalities occurred in underground mines in West Virginia and Illinois, and one fatality occurred at a surface mine in Wyoming.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today awarded $582,804 in grants through its Brookwood-Sago program to five organizations that provide education and training within the mining industry. The funding will be used to develop and implement training and related materials for mine emergency preparedness, as well as for the prevention of accidents in underground mines.

The recipients and the amount of funding they are receiving:

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 213 citations, 23 orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and five metal/nonmetal mines last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today the availability of a guide for miners' representatives, which will be available as a handbook and an online resource. The "Miners' Representative Guide" is a comprehensive tool that expands upon the "Guide to Miners' Rights and Responsibilities" released by the agency in June 2011.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today that it submitted a settlement between MSHA and Agapito Associates Inc. in the August 2007 Crandall Canyon Mine disaster to the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today applauded an Aug. 26, 2013, ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The court held that an MSHA district manager has broad discretion to disapprove a mine operator's proposed ventilation plan for an underground coal mine, and may do so as long as the decision is not arbitrary and capricious.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 149 citations and 16 orders during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and four metal/nonmetal mines last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today launched a new online tool for the mining industry. The S&S Rate Calculator enables mine operators who implement a corrective action program to determine if their mine is successfully reducing its significant and substantial, or S&S, violations.

S&S violations are violations of a mandatory health or safety standard that "significantly and substantially contributes to the cause and effect of a coal or other mine safety or health hazard."

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today issued guidance to the mining industry to clarify that mine operators who meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's hazard communication standard will be in compliance with MSHA's hazard communication standard. The guidance, in a program policy letter, reflects MSHA's understanding that many mine operators are meeting OSHA's HazCom standard.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today it will publish two notices on Aug. 8 in the Federal Register on refuge alternatives in underground coal mines. In the first, MSHA is requesting data, comments and information on issues and options relevant to miners' escape and refuge during underground coal mine emergencies. MSHA also announced a limited reopening of the record of the refuge alternative final rule published on Dec. 31, 2008. The 60-day comment period for both closes on Oct. 7.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The number of U.S. miners killed in underground coal roof falls has been dramatically reduced since 2007, and fatalities resulting from retreat mining have been virtually eliminated, according to figures from the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a mid-year summary of mining deaths across the country. During the first half of 2013, 18 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines, one less than in the first half of 2012.