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Proposed MSHA Office Closures Raise Concerns Over Mine Safety

The Department of Government Efficiency plans to shutter 34 MSHA offices across 19 states to save $18 million, sparking fears of reduced oversight in a historically hazardous industry.

FILE - A statue of a coal miner stands at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., Aug. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/John Raby, File)
FILE - A memorial to 29 miners killed in a 2010 explosion stands at the entrance to the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, W.Va., Dec. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/John Raby, File)
Retired coal miner Stanley "Goose" Stewart stands outside his home in Orgas, W.Va., on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raby)
Retired coal miner Stanley "Goose" Stewart holds a helmet he wore inside the Upper Big Branch mine when it blew up on April 5, 2010, killing 29 men, as he stands for a portrait at his home in Orgas, W.Va., on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/John Raby)

Overview

  • The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has proposed closing 34 U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) offices across 19 states, including seven in Kentucky.
  • The closures are projected to save $18 million, but it remains unclear whether affected jobs will be relocated or eliminated entirely.
  • MSHA, already facing a 27% reduction in staff over the past decade, is responsible for conducting thousands of mine inspections annually to enforce safety laws and reduce fatalities.
  • Critics warn that increased travel distances for inspectors due to office closures could lead to less thorough mine inspections, potentially endangering miners' safety.
  • While coal production and employment have been in long-term decline, fatalities in the industry have significantly decreased, with 11 or fewer deaths annually over the past five years.