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MSHA not needed in state coal mines
02/20/2008
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To the Editor:

In a recent article in The REPUBLICAN & Herald, local state representatives said they wanted to promote coal as Pennsylvania’s main source of energy.

Nice thought, isn’t it? Less dependence on foreign oil. Maybe cheaper gas prices. But then reality kicks in and our happy thoughts turn into our deepest nightmare — the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

In reality, there isn’t any reason that coal shouldn’t be our main source of energy. There is plenty of coal in the state.

Anthracite is the cleanest burning fossil fuel (even cleaner than oil) and the same fuel Jack Rich is trying to get funding to produce is being produced and used in South Africa.

Why can’t Pennsylvania use coal as its main energy source? I’ll tell you why — because the federal mine inspectors want coal to be nonexistent in Pennsylvania.

Anyone in the coal business will tell you that Pennsylvania doesn’t need MSHA to regulate their mines. Pennsylvania has its own mine inspectors who know how to regulate the different types of mining in the state.

MSHA goes by the book and that is the problem. They use the same book for all the mines in the United States. Not good!

The best example I can give anyone that they would understand is that not every road has the same speed limit. The same goes for mining. Our anthracite mines in Pennsylvania are completely different from a West Virginia soft coal mine. We can’t be regulated with laws that don’t pertain to our type of mining. We don’t know how we can make the government understand this.

If local state representatives really want coal in the state, the first and most important thing they should do is to get legislation to abolish MSHA in Pennsylvania.

Let our own state mine inspectors do their jobs. The mining industry doesn’t need to be double regulated and our state inspectors are all familiar with the type of mining in this area. Most MSHA inspectors are from the soft coal region.

We can make Pennsylvania a coal-rich state if we all stick together and abolish MSHA from our state. Call your state representatives and tell them to fight for our local coal industry. Keep honest, hard working people in business.

God bless and may 2008 be a year of positive change for the coal industry.

Lori Bender

Joliett

©The REPUBLICAN & Herald 2008