NEWS

Kentucky to cut 53 mine-safety jobs

Tom Loftus
LCJ

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Staffing at Kentucky's mine-safety agency will be cut by more than a third as a result of the General Assembly's deep cut to the agency's budget last month, according to a reorganization plan filed by the Beshear administration Friday.

"There will be a decrease of 53 full-time positions, from 148 to 95 positions ... immediately following this reorganization," said the plan, which was filed with the Secretary of State's Office.

The Beshear administration put out a news release earlier Friday announcing the reorganization that said the deep budget cut would have both a "tangible and symbolic impact." But the release did not include details about any reduction in personnel at the Office of Mine Safety and Licensing.

Dick Brown, spokesman for the department, declined on Friday to discuss layoffs or the chances some current employees could be moved to vacant jobs in state government. Brown said more information will be released after employees are briefed on the reorganization next week.

In the 2014 legislative session, the General Assembly cut Gov. Steve Beshear's proposed $15 million annual appropriation for the Office of Mine Safety and Licensing by $4.3 million per year. That is the deepest percentage cut suffered by any state agency in the 2014-16 budget. The General Assembly also used the budget bill to cut the required number of state inspections of each coal mine from six to four per year.

In his news release Friday, Beshear blamed lawmakers for forcing the reorganization.

"For years Kentucky made mine safety a high priority and dedicated resources to assure a higher safety standard than the federal government requires," Beshear said. "I am disappointed that the General Assembly decided to retreat from that standard and only meet the minimum requirements."

Len Peters, secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet that includes the mine safety agency, said, "The stark reality is, we are left with a bare bones budget and the only recourse is to reorganize. My concern going forward is for the safety of Kentucky miners. The division will be challenged to make the inspections necessary to keep our miners safe. That continues to be our top priority."

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The deep cut in mine safety this year reversed efforts by the General Assembly to strengthen the agency after 15 miners died on the job in 2006, including five in a methane explosion at the Kentucky Darby mine in Harlan County. And a safety advocate who lobbied for those improvements warned late Friday that the personnel cuts will put miners at risk.

"We're obviously against any cuts in mine safety. I wish I knew the details of how the reorganization will work, but it is not going to be good for people in the mines," said Steve Earle, vice president for the United Mine Workers for the Midwest. "... It surely means less inspection, and the safest day for any miner is the day the inspectors are there."

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, released a short statement late Friday that said, "As I have said before, a large number of mines have been closed, so we don't need as many inspectors." House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, did not respond to a request for comment made to his staff.

The Energy and Environment Cabinet's website shows employment at Kentucky mines of 19,422 in the first quarter of 2009 fell to 11,781 in the last quarter of 2013.

But Beshear said in the news release that despite the declines in mining, employment and coal sales in recent years, there continues to be many mine sites that need inspecting and monitoring.

The executive order implementing the reorganization says that the current Office of Mine Safety and Licensing will become the Division of Mine Safety. That order takes effect Sunday.

Reporter Tom Loftus can be reached at (502) 875-5136. Follow him on Twitter at @TomLoftus_CJ.