Grants seek to bolster education, training for key risks facing miners
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $1 million in grants to seven organizations in five states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.
Administered by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program will allow recipients to create accessible, comprehensive training materials in multiple languages, promote and conduct mine safety training or educational programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.
In awarding the grants, MSHA gave special emphasis to education and training programs that reach miners at smaller mines and underserved populations in the industry. Training and education supported by the grants align with the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program’s mission, as well as key MSHA priorities including mine rescue, better protecting miners from exposure to silica dust and powered haulage safety.
“As the Biden-Harris administration moves full steam ahead to ensure the implementation of MSHA’s new respirable silica dust standard, the grants awarded today are a valuable tool to make training and resources available to better protect miners from the debilitating and deadly effects of silica dust exposure,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “All miners deserve a safe and healthy work environment and the ability to retire with their dignity and enjoy the fruits of their labor.”
Established under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, the grant program honors 25 miners who perished in mine disasters at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama on September 23, 2001, and at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia on January 2, 2006.
“In remembrance of the 25 miners who lost their lives, the Brookwood-Sago grants have historically included awards for mine emergency preparedness and rescue, and this year we are proud to continue that important tradition by supporting those critical programs,” Williamson said. “This year’s grant recipients share our commitment to mine rescue and ensuring miners return home safe and healthy to their families and communities at the end of their shift.”
The recipients of the 2024 Brookwood-Sago grants are as follows:
| Recipient | City | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Tucson | AZ | $134,999 |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | MI | $201,276 |
| Desert Research Institute | Reno | NV | $128,233 |
| UMWA Career Centers Inc | Prosperity | PA | $74,810 |
| Pennsylvania State University | University Park | PA | $149,465 |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown | WV | $173,543 |
| West Virginia University Research Corp. | Morgantown | WV | $151,392 |
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Original article published by MSHA