NIOSH’s Robert C. Byrd Laboratory in Morgantown, WV. Photo: Antony-22/Wikimedia Commons
Washington — The federal government has temporarily reinstated up to 40 NIOSH employees, mainly in coal mining and firefighting health and safety, according to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and the Washington Post.
“Based on conversations I’ve had with folks on the ground in Morgantown and at @CDCgov, I am encouraged that some NIOSH functions for coal miner and firefighter safety are slated to resume with some select staff returning to work this week,” Capito wrote on her X account on April 29. “But my understanding is that this is temporary, so my focus will continue to be on working with @HHSGov on permanently restoring these functions and personnel in the most efficient and effective manner.”
On April 21, Capito, who chairs the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressing him to restore certain NIOSH programs. The agency is reportedly undergoing cuts of at least two-thirds of its 1,000-plus employees.
Among the employees being reinstated, according to the Post, are those with the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program. The reinstatement reportedly is until June 2.
“The NIOSH Mining Program works to eliminate mining fatalities and injuries,” Capito wrote in her letter. “Research on rock dust has resulted in safety changes to prevent explosions in underground mines. NIOSH research has also resulted in industry standards for pillar design and roof support programs to prevent collapses in underground mines.
“NIOSH’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program studies respiratory disease and provides black lung screenings to coal miners. It is my understanding that the HHS’ reduction in force impacted every employee in these important programs.”
Capito also highlighted the work in NIOSH’s Morgantown, WV, office that aids safety and health in other industries and other areas of the country.
“This research stands not just to make the mining industry safer but also to benefit workers exposed to silica dust at construction sites and residents in West Virginia and North Carolina impacted by the devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene,” she wrote. “Decommissioning the labs will cost millions of taxpayer dollars. If the labs were to later be brought back online, additional taxpayer dollars would be spent to re-comply with numerous regulations and inspections.
“I believe in the president’s vision to right size our government, but I do not think eliminating the NIOSH coal programs and research will accomplish that goal.”
A West Virginia coal miner has filed a federal lawsuit against HHS regarding the NIOSH staff cuts. A hearing for the case is set for May 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, according to West Virginia Watch.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication