Sen. Edward Kennedy: A friend to coal miners

There’s been so much said already about the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy that I’m not sure I have much to add.

Personally, I was especially moved by this New York Times story, After Diagnosis, Determined to Make a ‘Good Ending.’ Coal Tattoo readers might want to check out Joseph Romm’s list of Kennedy’s actions regarding protecting the environment and development clean energy.

But buried on page 34 of this official list of his accomplishments  is this discussion of Kennedy’s work in 2006 on coal-mine safety:

Senator Kennedy also took a prominent role in improving safety for the nation’s miners.

After the tragedies at the Sago and Alma Mines in 2006, Senator Kennedy successfully championed bipartisan mine safety reform legislation, the MINER Act, which became law later that year. The Act was the most sweeping reform of the nation’s mine safety law in a generation. It guarantees miners updated mine technology, stricter safety standards, and tougher enforcement.

But after that legislative victory, Senator Kennedy continued to lead the fight to protect miners. He pressed for additional mine safety reforms and serious investigations of mine safety disasters. His investigation of the 2007 Crandall Canyon mining disaster was the first to reveal the serious lapses by both the mine operator and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration that led to the deaths of nine miners and rescue workers.

Two things stuck out in my mind from covering the aftermath of Sago and the debate over the MINER Act.

One is that some on the left were very critical of the final language in the bill that President Bush signed. As I explained in this story,  the final version was a compromise worked out in large part by Kennedy with Sen. Robert C. Byrd and Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming.

I thought of this when reading a column this morning in The New York Times by David Brooks, one of many pundits who have remarked on Kennedy’s skill at working out bipartisan legislation that would pass, but also on his understanding that the successes for progressives are often incremental, rather than huge sweeping changes that happen overnight.

Second, I remembered what Kennedy said after he met with members of the families of the Sago miners, and learned that the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration had not made the families a key part of their investigation of the disaster:

Whoever’s doing the investigation, they won’t spend a better two hours than listening to the people we’ve just listened to.

United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts issued this statement about Kennedy’s death:

Sen. Kennedy toiled his entire career on behalf of working families, and
was an especially strong advocate for coal miners and our families. His
leadership in the fight to improve mine safety and health laws in the wake of the many coalfield tragedies in 2006 led to the passage of the MINER Act of that year, which has already improved safety in mines across America.

Sen. Kennedy believed strongly that those who entered public service had a duty and obligation to stand up for all the people, not just a few. We will miss his eloquent voice and his firm belief that working people have a right to dignity, justice and a safe and healthy workplace. Most of all, we
will simply miss him.