The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) awarded more than $10.5 million in grants to organizations in 44 states, with the aim of reducing mining accidents, injuries and illnesses.
According to MSHA, the grants will support the delivery of federally mandated training and retraining for miners at surface, underground coal and metal/nonmetal mines, as well as miners employed in shell dredging or surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations.
“Training is crucial to ensuring the protection of miners’ safety and health, and the grants awarded today will support these essential training programs,” says Chris Williamson, assistant secretary at MSHA. “Every miner deserves to end their shift safe and healthy, and quality educational programs will go a long way toward reducing mining accidents, injuries and illnesses.”
MSHA state grants are awarded in response to applications by states and territories. Funds are provided to state departments and agencies and to state-supported universities and colleges. The agency says programs are tailored locally to address conditions and hazards miners in various areas may encounter.
This year’s grant recipients, by state, are as follows:
• Alabama. Bevill State Community College ($248,182)
• Alaska. University of Alaska at Fairbanks ($155,796)
• Arizona. Arizona State Mine Inspector’s Office ($435,231) and Navajo Nation Minerals Department ($46,430)
• Arkansas. Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing ($138,082)
• Colorado. Colorado Department of Natural Resources ($266,239)
• Connecticut. Central Connecticut State University ($99,523)
• Florida. Tallahassee Community College ($203,956)
• Georgia. Technical College System of Georgia ($224,367)
• Idaho. North Idaho College ($171,417)
• Illinois. Illinois Department of Natural Resources ($256,373)
• Indiana. Vincennes University ($255,405)
• Iowa. Eastern Iowa Community College District ($201,298)
• Kansas. Hutchinson Community College & Area Vocational School ($142,622)
• Kentucky. Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet ($352,144)
• Louisiana. Northshore Technical Community College ($118,547)
• Maine. Maine Department of Labor ($117,104)
• Maryland. Maryland Center for Environmental Training ($74,841)
• Massachusetts. Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards ($111,862)
• Michigan. Michigan Technological University ($283,429)
• Minnesota. Minnesota State Colleges & Universities ($405,690)
• Mississippi. Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality ($28,778)
• Missouri. Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations ($296,502)
• Montana. Montana Department of Labor & Industry ($220,653)
• Nebraska. University of Nebraska at Kearney ($96,774)
• New Hampshire. New Hampshire Department of Business & Economic Affairs ($83,000)
• Nevada. Nevada Division of Industrial Relations ($427,331)
• New Jersey. New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development ($74,636)
• New Mexico. New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology ($180,793)
• New York. New York Department of Labor ($347,407)
• North Carolina. North Carolina Department of Labor ($191,862)
• North Dakota. North Dakota Department of Career & Technical Education ($118,661)
• Ohio. Ohio Department of Natural Resources ($244,276)
• Oklahoma. Oklahoma Department of Mines ($187,861)
• Oregon. Eastern Oregon University ($179,731)
• Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ($587,556)
• South Carolina. South Dakota School of Mines & Technology ($106,316) and Tri-County Technical College ($107,778)
• Tennessee. Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development ($220,206)
• Texas. University of Texas at Austin ($736,187)
• Utah. Utah State University ($277,557)
• Vermont. Vermont Department of Labor ($117,809)
• Virginia. Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy ($246,837)
• West Virginia. West Virginia Office of Miners Health Safety & Training ($524,103)
• Wisconsin. Northcentral Technical College District ($300,000)
• Wyoming. Gillette Community College District ($307,278)
MSHA also awarded an $18,571 grant to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
