Protecting the Health and Safety of West Virginians
Congressman Rahall has taken on the cause of greater protections for coalfield citizens by spearheading legislation to extend the Abandoned Mine Reclamation program, which provides funds to combat health, safety and environmental threats from old mine sites. In the course of this effort, provisions were included to allow these funds to be used for public water supply systems in the coalfields as well as to help finance health care for retired coal miners. In the aftermath of the Sago and Aracoma mine disasters, Nick Rahall won enactment of legislation to improve mine emergency response. He was also instrumental in stopping plans by the Bush Administration to increase the level of crippling respirable dust allowed in coal mines. In the aftermath of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, Nick Rahall is at the forefront of efforts to insure such disasters do not happen again.
