ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today awarded $1,250,000 in grants through its Brookwood-Sago program to seven 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.

Kentucky coal mine undergoes 10th targeted inspection, served with judgment by default

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 255 citations, 13 orders and two safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 11 coal mines and four metal/nonmetal mines last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Stepped-up efforts by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration to educate miners about their safety and health rights, promptly and thoroughly investigate discrimination complaints, and take legal action with the help of department attorneys have led to a marked increase in the number of miners temporarily reinstated to their jobs after filing complaints of discrimination in the form of a suspension, layoff, discharge or other adverse action.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 262 citations, 19 orders and three safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at eight coal mines and five metal/nonmetal mines last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration's final rule "Examinations of Work Areas in Underground Coal Mines for Violations of Mandatory Health or Safety Standards," which was published April 6, 2012, in the Federal Register, becomes effective today.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 177 citations, 22 orders and one safeguard during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and three metal/nonmetal mines last month.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a midyear summary of mining deaths across the country. During the first half of 2012, 19 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines.

FLORENCE, Ky. – In remarks today in Florence before representatives of several Midwest state aggregate associations, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main outlined a number of important initiatives and reforms his agency has undertaken over the last two years.

BOSTON – On behalf of its Mine Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor has filed complaints in U.S. district courts against mining companies in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire to collect $267,724 in unpaid civil penalties resulting from federal mine safety violations. The complaints also seek injunctions and cash performance bonds from each mine operator to guarantee that future penalties will be paid.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration has proposed $594,100 in fines to Manalapan Mining Co. Inc.'s P-1 Mine in Harlan County, Ky., for four violations. The proposed penalties were assessed as a result of an investigation into the June 2011 death of a miner who was fatally injured when a large section of rock fell from the underground coal mine's wall, or rib, and knocked him into a dolly.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration once again will focus its annual mine roof control program on efforts to improve mine rib control during the 2012 Preventive Roof Rib Outreach Program, known as PROP. For the second consecutive year, in 2011, fatal rib roll accidents in underground coal mines outnumbered more typical fatal roof fall accidents. Most recently, on June 25, a coal miner in eastern Kentucky suffered fatal injuries when he was crushed by a rib roll.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 158 citations, 26 orders and three safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines last month. In a separate two-day inspection blitz, MSHA inspectors targeted 40 underground coal mines formerly owned by Massey Energy, where they issued 225 violations. The incident that precipitated these inspections was a burned conveyer belt at Road Fork No. 51 Mine in Wyoming County, W.Va.

Administrative law judge increases penalty proposed by MSHA

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that an administrative law judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission has ordered Cumberland River Coal Co. to reinstate miner Charles Howard to his former job and pay a civil penalty of $30,000, increasing MSHA's original proposed penalty of $20,000.

Enhanced enforcement strategies are working, says MSHAs Joseph Main

Complaint dismissed after collection of more than $44,000 in civil penalties

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that a complaint filed by the department with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia against Resurrection Coal Co. Inc. for collection of delinquent civil penalties has been dismissed upon receipt of the final payment installment. The entire civil penalty assessment totaled $44,158.33.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 335 citations, orders and safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at eight coal mines and four metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 254 citations, 19 orders and one safeguard, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 52 citations and nine orders.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration has filed a complaint with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission against Ferraiolo Construction Inc. to reinstate a worker to his former position and provide compensation for wages lost as a result of his being unlawfully fired.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today announced that federal inspectors issued 249 violations during special impact inspections conducted at nine coal mines and two metal/nonmetal mines last month. The coal mines were issued 187 citations, 25 orders and two safeguards, while the metal/nonmetal operations were issued 35 citations.

Phase-out of CSE SR-100 breathing devices in underground mines to begin immediately

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a first quarter summary of mining deaths across the country. Ten miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines during the first three months of 2012.