Tomblin: “We really don’t want to cut back on (mine) safety”

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s comments were measured Monday when asked about whether he’d sign the Coal Jobs Safety Act into law this week.

“We want to do what we can to be sure that we can continue mining operations in West Virginia, but we really don’t want to cut back on safety,” Tomblin said. “We have some of the best safety laws in the country. A lot of national laws were based on laws we have here in West Virginia.”

Supporters of the bill, which passed both the House and Senate and is currently on the governor’s desk, have said its provision will make West Virginia coal more competitive by bringing some of the state’s more stringent mining laws back to federal levels. The bill also eliminates the state Diesel Commission, has several environmental components and addresses moving mine equipment near the face of the mine.

Opponents have said the bill rolls back safety requirements.

Tomblin seemed to think there could be a compromise.

“There’s room for both employees as well as mine operators to do some give and take here. I’ll save judgment on that until I get a final review of the bill,” Tomblin said.

The governor said his thoughts and prayers go out to the families involved in Sunday night’s mining accident in Marshall County where an Ohio man was killed.

“This time of the year, with the weather changing, is one of those times of the year when you have a lot of roof falls in our mines. We are very saddened with the loss of any miner in the state of West Virginia,” the governor said.