30 U.S.C. § 801 : US Code - Section 801: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

Search 30 U.S.C. § 801 : US Code - Section 801: Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

Congress declares that -
(a) the first priority and concern of all in the coal or other
mining industry must be the health and safety of its most
precious resource - the miner;
(b) deaths and serious injuries from unsafe and unhealthful
conditions and practices in the coal or other mines cause grief
and suffering to the miners and to their families;
(c) there is an urgent need to provide more effective means and
measures for improving the working conditions and practices in
the Nation's coal or other mines in order to prevent death and
serious physical harm, and in order to prevent occupational
diseases originating in such mines;
(d) the existence of unsafe and unhealthful conditions and
practices in the Nation's coal or other mines is a serious
impediment to the future growth of the coal or other mining
industry and cannot be tolerated;
(e) the operators of such mines with the assistance of the
miners have the primary responsibility to prevent the existence
of such conditions and practices in such mines;
(f) the disruption of production and the loss of income to
operators and miners as a result of coal or other mine accidents
or occupationally caused diseases unduly impedes and burdens
commerce; and
(g) it is the purpose of this chapter (1) to establish interim
mandatory health and safety standards and to direct the Secretary
of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to
develop and promulgate improved mandatory health or safety
standards to protect the health and safety of the Nation's coal
or other miners; (2) to require that each operator of a coal or
other mine and every miner in such mine comply with such
standards; (3) to cooperate with, and provide assistance to, the
States in the development and enforcement of effective State coal
or other mine health and safety programs; and (4) to improve and
expand, in cooperation with the States and the coal or other
mining industry, research and development and training programs
aimed at preventing coal or other mine accidents and
occupationally caused diseases in the industry.