BECKLEY, W.Va. — U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta on Tuesday for a tour of the Pocahontas Beckley Mine in Raleigh County.
The senators and Acosta observed mining operations, which include the use of a large rotating steel drum to extract coal from the seam.
“Seeing first-hand the operation of a mine, the environment in which our miners work, and the skill it takes to operate sophisticated machinery underground, changes your perspective on the health and safety of these miners and how dangerous this profession really is,” Manchin said in a press release.
Capito said it is important for federal officials, miners and company leaders to keep miners operating in safe conditions.
“I was proud to host Secretary Acosta in West Virginia today so that we could hear directly from miners and gain from their knowledge about this vital industry and ways to improve their health and safety,” she said in a statement. “Our visit highlighted the importance of continued efforts to protect our miners, and was an opportunity for him to see firsthand how this important industry contributes to the state’s economy.”
According to a Department of Labor press release, Acosta met with Mine Safety and Health Administration employees at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley.
“Through their hard work, America’s miners fuel our modern-day life,” Acosta said. “The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that all miners work in a safe and healthy work environment.”
The mine employs around 170 people and produced more than 980,000 tons of coal in 2016.
