The agency selected awardees for the 2015 fiscal year based on applications received; the grand total for this year is $8,441,000.
Some of the top winners include the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mine Safety and West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training.
Grantees will use the funds to provide miners with federally mandated training, including the training and retraining of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, as well as workers in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations.
In addition to safety and health training, some states use these grants to support their mine emergency response efforts and other Mine Act functions.
“Training of our nation’s miners is critical to miners’ safety and health, and thousands of miners receive training through these state grants,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph Main said, noting that each recipient is able to tailor their program to their specific needs.
The grant program, authorized by the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, has given such funds to provide safety and health training to miners since 1971.
A list of grantees can be found here.
