Kaine Statement on New Silica Standard for Miners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) within the Department of Labor released new silica standards for miners:

“Our coal miners have worked tirelessly to power this nation, often under dangerous conditions. We owe it to them to protect their health and safety. That’s why I joined Senators Manchin, Brown, Casey, Fetterman, and Warner to push the Administration for new silica standards for our brave miners. I’m happy to see that Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and MSHA Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson have been responsive to our request. This is a very positive step forward for the health of our miners. Between Su’s responsiveness on this request and her recent work to reach a labor agreement at West Coast ports, Su continues to be a strong Acting Labor Secretary and I know she’ll make a great Secretary.”

Last week, Kaine joined Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to write a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young, urging for additional information on the delayed announcement of a new silica standard for miners across America, especially Appalachia. 

Kaine worked to make sure the Inflation Reduction Act included a permanent extension of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund’s excise tax at a higher rate, providing certainty for miners, miner retirees, and their families who rely on the fund to access benefits. The move will restore the Fund’s excise tax to the level it had been at for over three decades until it expired in 2021. This follows past efforts where Kaine successfully pushed for ensuring that miners receive the pensions and health care they earned. Kaine also joined his colleagues in introducing the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act, legislation to help miners with black lung disease and their survivors access benefits.

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