[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5097]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF UPPER BIG BRANCH MINE TRAGEDY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, it has been 1 year since the fatal explosion 
at Upper Big Branch Mine, 365 days since we lost 29 courageous coal 
miners--fathers and sons, brothers and friends. We vowed then that some 
good would come from this terrible tragedy. We can say that criminal 
investigations are almost complete, enforcement has toughened, the 
Congress has increased funding to target pattern violators, and yet 
coal miners are still dying in our coal fields.
  It's easy to doubt. It's easy to question whether things can be made 
better. I find inspiration in the Biblical verse from Romans: ``Glory 
in tribulations also, knowing that tribulations worketh patience; and 
patience, experience; and experience, hope.'' Never lose hope that we 
can improve the health and safety of miners in the coal fields. Never 
lose hope that we can pass tougher mine safety laws and that we can 
enforce those laws and save lives.
  There are plenty of good coal companies in America, companies that 
put time and effort and money into making their workplaces safe in 
which they operate. They are forward-thinking coal companies, with 
strong safety records that have designed programs aimed at protecting 
the lives and preserving the health of their miners. They want to see 
those bad actors, those companies that have tarnished the reputation of 
an important industry, reined in. They do not accept a world in which 
they must compete against companies that would sacrifice the health and 
lives of their own employees for competitive advantage and blatant 
profit.
  There are plenty of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle 
who recognize that legislation is necessary. Congressman Miller, 
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and I, along with many others, will continue 
fighting for reforms to give the agencies the tools they need to target 
the bad actors. We want to ensure that sound companies that have good 
records can continue to perform and produce, but we just as surely want 
to ensure that the worst operators can be reined in and that lives can 
be saved. We can strike a balance, and we will.
  Changes and improvements may come slowly, but they will come. As long 
as coal miners and these brave, courageous families continue to demand 
that the loss of their loved ones not be in vain, they will come.
  The April 5 disaster of 1 year ago was a tragedy that never, ever 
should have occurred. We must provide accountability, and we have a 
duty to institute changes that will help prevent a repeat of that awful 
day. Those 29 coal miners should not have perished, and for them and 
all those miners on the job today, we must keep speaking out.
  Tonight, I will be at the 1-year anniversary with the families of all 
of these perished coal miners. I will look in the eyes of their loved 
ones once again as I did that painful week following their tragedy 24 
hours, 7 days a week. We will join and we will commemorate these good 
men and the people who came together to try to rescue them--to them we 
say thank you--and to provide comfort and a final closure to these 
families, which we have yet to do.
  These families want accountability, they want the truth, and they 
want to ensure that no other families ever have to suffer the way they 
have. Chairman Miller, Lynn Woolsey and I remain committed to their 
cause. I urge my colleagues to join us in this life-saving, important 
endeavor.

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