Cord Byrd: “conference report language has been added to H.R. 4577, the fiscal year 2001 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill to address…”

“conference report language has been added to H.R. 4577, the fiscal year 2001 Labor/HHS Appropriations bill to address concerns about the safety of coal waste impoundments. A study, which is to be completed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in nine months, will be funded by monies included in the Mine Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) Fiscal Year 2001 appropriations. Because MSHA has regulatory authority for coal waste impoundment oversight, I hope that MSHA officials will play an active role throughout the course of the study. The NAS study is intended to review the coal waste impoundments and report on viable methods and alternatives to prevent another dam failure like the one that occurred in Martin County, Kentucky, in October of this year. I would like to clarify the understanding of the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations subcommittee regarding this conference report language. Is it their understanding that the NAS study should involve the participation of experts to include, but not be limited to, members of relevant state and federal agencies, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Office of Surface Mining and Enforcement, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as industry, labor, citizen, and environmental groups, which have either been, or may be, impacted by impoundments in their areas?…”