Via wymt.com

HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) – House Bill 384 would change the way coal mines are inspected in Kentucky.

The bill calls for fewer mine safety inspections than years past. Some say this will make the mines safer, while others disagree.

At one point, Kentucky required six inspections per year after there were several mine disasters. However, a provision in last year’s budget bill brought the number of inspections down to four – requiring at least two full electrical inspections.

House Bill 384 requires three state mine inspections with only one full electrical inspection. It instead focuses on a safety analysis program, which has been around for a while. The program monitors the behavior of coal miners.

“The problem with it is we haven’t had funds or discretion to dedicate the time or personnel to that program,” said Kentucky Coal Association President Tyler White.

Opponents of the bill say the existing inspections are necessary and the bill does not add anything new.

“It is just misleading legislators by saying we have this new behavioral-based program that we are substituting for inspections when in fact that program has been in place for decades,” said attorney and mine safety advocate, Tony Oppegard.

Supporters say the bill provides a way to deal with budget constraints and a lack of manpower at the Division of Mine Safety. They say it avoids duplicating federal efforts, which require four inspections per year.

“We are just looking at this and saying, hey (since we have limited resources) why don’t we take some of those resources and look at safety in a different way,” White said. “Why just look at conditions when we know behavior is a major player in preventing mine accidents?”

If the bill passes, some say miners would be at a greater risk. To people like Oppegard, the fact there are fewer mines makes inspections even more important.

“There’s great pressure on miners because they want to keep their job,” Oppegard said. “A lot of them have to face this choice: Do I want to keep my job and support my family? Or, am I going to risk my life by doing something that I know is dangerous or unsafe but I am being told to do in this rush for coal production?”

The bill overwhelmingly passed the House. It is now in the Senate Rules Committee and could be sent to the floor for a vote this week.

As the Obama Administration packed its boxes and prepared to leave office, the former president took a parting shot at Appalachian coal communities, who have already been some of the areas most hurt by his coal policies. After eight years of anti-coal executive actions, the Obama Administration added insult to injury with its Stream Buffer Rule.

This regulation was a blatant attack on coal jobs and the communities they support. It would have impacted both surface and underground mining. It took authority away from states and contradicted federal law. That’s why one national newspaper called this rule “a power grab aimed at giving federal regulators more authority to make coal too expensive for anyone to mine or use.”

Even worse, one study estimated that the Stream Buffer Rule would have put as many as one-third of coal-related jobs at risk.

When miners lose their jobs, the economic effects extend far beyond one family. In coal country, teachers and first responders are losing their jobs because communities don’t have the tax revenue to pay their salaries. Small businesses can’t afford to operate when their customers can’t pay for their products and services. We have all seen the growth of drug abuse that devastates families in these areas and contributes further to the perpetual cycle of unemployment.

The status quo is unacceptable. We cannot allow the legacy of the Obama Administration to continue damaging our communities.

Luckily, supporters of coal workers finally have a friend in the White House. The election of President Trump signaled the change coming to Washington. Throughout his campaign, Trump inspired the American people with a vision of fewer regulations and a fair, competitive marketplace. In a recent letter I sent to then President-elect Trump about the coal industry, I urged him to join with us against job-killing regulations, including the Stream Buffer Rule.

Now, Congress and the new Administration are working together to finally bring relief to communities hurting across the country.

Kentucky deserves better than a targeted rule to put miners out of work. Washington should support efficient and safe ways to mine and use coal – an American commodity which provides affordable and reliable power for our homes, businesses, and communities. That’s what I have long supported, and I am thankful we finally have a president who agrees.

Last December, I vowed to fight back against the Stream Buffer Rule. I kept my promise to coal families, and, with a Republican president, we won.

Legislation, identical to what I introduced in the Senate, has already made its way through Congress to stop this disastrous rule and bring relief to coal miners and their families. I am heartened to know so many of my colleagues recognized the problems facing coal country, and I am glad that they joined with me to address them.

Of all the Obama Administration’s onerous regulations, I chose to address the Stream Buffer Rule first because of the devastating impact it would have had on Kentucky families.

Both houses passed the McConnell Resolution, and President Trump signed it into law. I am grateful for his help, and I look forward to working with him in the future to protect coal families and communities. More regulations will be repealed, but this was a crucial place to start.

We were proud to have many partners in this fight. The opposition to this rule was not a partisan issue. Both Republicans and Democrats recognized that this rule was destructive to miners, their families, and their communities.

That’s why the Kentucky Coal Association, the United Mine Workers of America, and Attorneys General from 14 states, including Kentucky, joined together to put an end to one of President Obama’s final attacks on coal.

Last November, voters sent Republican majorities to Congress and a Republican president to the White House. Now, we can begin to undo the damage of the Obama Administration. Together, we can all work to bring real relief to coal country.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The Kentucky Coal Association named J. Tyler White as its new president.

White currently serves as the District Director for Kentucky’s Sixth District Congressman, Andy Barr.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue advocating for the people of the Commonwealth especially those in Eastern and Western Kentucky whose lives have been negatively impacted by overregulation and failed policy,” said White. “I believe that with the right policies in place, we can and we will revitalize this critical industry for our state and nation. I look forward to working with our member organizations, community leaders, and government officials to not only bring coal back, but to let it prosper to the benefit of all Kentuckians.”

White graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors of Arts from the College of Communication in 2014 and is nearing completion of his Master’s degree from the Harvard Extension School with a concentration in General Management. White also served in the United States Marine Corps from 2004-2012.

He begins his new role on December 5. Former KCA president Bill Bissett resigned to take a job in his home state of West Virginia.