Harrisburg, PA – This week, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling on the Trump administration to keep the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) open so that it can continue its critical mine safety research that contributes to keeping the approximately 3,000 Pennsylvania miners — and miners across the country — safe.
DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety routinely works with the PRL to provide training, best practices, and tools to aid the mining industry. This collaboration has resulted in technical guidance and best practices for mining companies on topics like mining near unconventional gas wells and methane emissions control systems. The facility has also hosted mine rescue training activities at its experimental mine. PRL has pioneered lifesaving research and technology to monitor for respirable crystalline silica and coal dust, prevent unsafe noise levels, and ensure that roofing supports are sufficient to keep miners safe. The Pittsburgh office helped develop specialized drilling equipment and a detailed protocol following the 2002 Quecreek Mine disaster, in which nine miners were trapped underground for 77 hours before finally being rescued.
“Pennsylvania has a long legacy of mining — stretching back hundreds of years — and we owe it to our mine workers, their families, and mining communities to ensure their safety and continue this critical research,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley in the letter. “Since its inception in 1910 as the Bureau of Mines, the work accomplished by this group has undoubtedly saved lives and advanced the industry forward. Losing this facility will impede advancements in mine safety, harm the mining industry, and put workers at risk."
The full text of the letter is available on the DEP website
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