NMA Calls for Improvements in Substance Abuse Regulations

Washington, D.C. – The National Mining Association (NMA) at a hearing today in Washington, D.C., called upon the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to improve its proposed regulation on substance abuse so as not to diminish mine operators’ existing “safety first” programs.

Appearing on behalf of NMA, Helen F. Blevins, manager of clinical occupational and non-occupational healthcare at CONSOL Energy, Inc.; Jennifer Herner, assistant general counsel at Arch Coal, Inc.; and Bruce Watzman, vice president for safety, health and human resources at NMA, voiced the mining industry’s support for a comprehensive federal regulation to govern alcohol and drug testing programs at mine sites as a means to eliminate the gaps that exist across the patchwork of state regulatory programs….more at NMA