Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will likely
decide this week whether to sign or veto the Coal Jobs Safety Act passed by the
House of Delegates and state Senate.
The measure would realign current
state mining laws and bring them into line with the standards set at the
federal level by the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Those
who fought the measure have said it’s a weakening of protections for
miners. West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney disagrees.
“It is not that at all. What
it is a progressive recognition of the changing conditions in the way mines are
today,” Raney said. “The last thing in the world anyone would ask is to
jeopardize or minimize safety.”
Raney said the more stringent
regulations which coal operators have to abide by in West
Virginia makes a West
Virginia mine more expensive to operate. Supporters
argued during debate on the House and Senate floor those additional layers of
safety added to cost, but didn’t add much to safety.
“We’re hopeful this is going to put
us more in line and certainly on an even playing field with many of the
surrounding states as well as with the federal government,” said Raney.
Representatives of the United Mine
Workers and other organized labor disagree and believe lawmakers bent to the
will of the coal industry and put profit before safety. They spoke against the
bill at Saturday’s labor union rally at the state capitol.
Raney is hopeful Gov. Tomblin signs
the bill.
“Governor Tomblin has always been
very, very deliberate about mine safety. He’s not going to do anything to
jeopardize the safety and we would never ask,” Raney said.
Lawmakers would have time to
override the governor’s veto if he does so before the end of the regular
session Saturday night.