amendments with respect to mine safety and health administration

amendments with respect to mine safety and health administration Sec. 303. (a) (1) Section 501 of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 is amended by inserting “or other” after “coal” wherever it appears therein, and by striking “coal-mining” and inserting in lieu thereof “coal or other mining” wherever it appears therein. (2) Section 501(a) of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 is further amended by striking “and” after the semicolon in paragraph (10), by redesignating paragraph (11) as paragraph (12), and by inserting immediately after paragraph “(10)”, the following new paragraph: “(11) to determine, upon the written request by any operator or authorized representative of miners, specifying with reasonable particularity the grounds upon which such request is made, whether any substance normally found in a coal or other mine has potentially toxic effects in the concentrations normally found in the coal or other mine or whether any physical agents or equipment found or used in a coal or other mine has potentially hazardous effects, and shall submit such determinations to both the operators and miners as soon as possible; and”. (3) Section 501(b) of such Act is amended by adding after “Welfare” the following: “through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970”; and by striking out the period at the end thereof and substituting “of the Interior in coordination with the Secretary”. (4) Section 501(c) is amended by inserting “of the Interior” after “the Secretary” each place it occurs; and by inserting “in coordination with the Secretary” after “and Welfare” each place it occurs. (5) Section 501 (e) of such Act is amended by inserting after “Secretary” the first time it occurs therein, “of the Interior” and by striking “$30,000,000” and by inserting, in lieu therof “$60,000,000”. (6) Section 501(a) of such Act is amended by striking out “The Secretary and” and inserting in lieu thereof “The Secretary of the Interior and”. (b) Section 502 of such Act is amended by inserting “or other” immediately after “coal” each time it appears therein. (c) (1) Section 503 of such Act is amended by inserting “or other” immediately after “coal” each time it appears therein, and by striking “Labor” and inserting in lieu thereof, “the Interior”. (2) (A) The first sentence of section 503(h) of such Act is amended by deleting “$5,000,000” and by inserting in lieu thereof, “$10,000,000”. (B) The second sentence of section 503(h) of such Act is amended by inserting before the period the following: “, except that no less than one-half of such sum shall be allocated to coal-producing States”. (d) (1) Section 505 of such Act is amended by striking out “the mining of coal” and inserting in lieu thereof “in mining”. 91 STAT. 1321 (2) Section 505 of such Act is further amended by striking out the period at the end of the second sentence thereof and inserting in lieu thereof Provided, however, That, to the maximum extent feasible, in the selection of persons for appointment as mine inspectors, no person shall be so selected unless he has the basic qualification of at least five years practical mining experience and in assigning mine inspectors to the inspection and investigation of individual mines, due consideration shall be given to the extent possible to their previous experience in the particular type of mining operation where such inspections are to be made.”. (e) Section 506(b) of such Act is amended by inserting “or other” immediately after “coal” each time it appears therein. (f) Section 511 of such Act is amended by inserting “or other” immediately after “coal”. (g) Section 512 of such Act is amended by inserting “or other” after “coal” each time it appears therein. (h) Section 502 of such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection (c): “(c) (1) The National Mine Health and Safety Academy shall be maintained as an agency of the Department of the Interior. The Academy shall be responsible for the training of mine safety and health inspectors under section 505 of this Act, and in training of technical support personnel of the Mine Safety and Health Administration established under section 302 of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act of 1977; and for any other training programs for mine inspectors, mining personnel, or other persons as the Secretaries of Labor and the Interior shall designate. In performing this function, the Academy shall have the authority to enter into cooperative educational and training agreements with educational institutions, State governments, labor organizations, and mine operators and related industries. Such training shall be conducted by the Academy in accordance with curriculum needs and assignment of instructional personnel established by the user. “(2) In performing its function pursuant to this section, the National Mine Health and Safety Academy shall use the facilities and personnel of the Department of the Interior, and such other personnel as shall be mutually agreed upon by the Secretaries of Labor and the Interior. The Secretary of the Interior may appoint or assign to the Academy such office re and employees as he deems necessary for the performance of the duties and functions of the Academy. “(3) The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct his safety research responsibilities under section 501 of this Act in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretaries of Labor and the Interior are authorized to enter into contractual or other agreements for the performance of such safety related research.”.