One Hundred Years of Federal Mining Safety and Health Research

1996 Appropriations Bill stated in part that “. . . the health, safety and mining technology
functions in Pittsburgh, PA and Spokane, WA will be continued under the Department of
Energy. . .” and “The managers strongly encourage the Administration, and particularly the
Office of Management and Budget, to work toward consolidating these health, safety, and
mining technology functions in the same agency with either the Mine Safety and Health
Administration or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. . . .”
The Mining program was transferred to DOE early in 1996. Dr. Linda Rosenstock, the Director
of NIOSH, had argued strongly for the transfer of the mining program to NIOSH, and a decision
was made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in February 1996 that NIOSH
should acquire these functions. The Director of NIOSH and the Assistant Secretary for Fossil
Energy of DOE entered into a Memorandum of Agreement on June 20, 1996, assigning day-today
management of the program to NIOSH during fiscal year 1996. The formal transfer of staff
and facilities took place in October 1996 under authority of Public Law 104-134.
The fiscal year 1997 Conference bill and report H.R. Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act,
1977 (Public Law 104-208, approved 9/30/96) stated that “while NIOSH has had responsibility
for occupational health and safety research aimed at industry in general, the Committee
understands that many mine safety and health needs are either unique to mining or require
mining-specific emphasis. The Committee, therefore, expects NIOSH to preserve the integrity
of mine safety and health research unit of the Bureau so that the collective experience and
expertise of that group can be maintained within NIOSH. To further ensure the maintenance of
this unit and its mission, the Committee recommends that NIOSH move forward with
establishing a new Associate Director for Mining Safety and Health Research who reports
directly to the NIOSH Director.” NIOSH has maintained a separate and distinct identity to the
mine health and safety program since that time.
NIOSH decided to keep its newly acquired (former Bureau) mining program both separate and
visible within the agency by placing it in a newly created Office of Mine Safety and Health
Research. This Office was to be headed by an Associate Director for Mining, reporting to the
Director of NIOSH. The Associate Director has the lead responsibility for the review of the
post-Bureau health and safety research program, the development of the appropriate
organizational structure for this program within NIOSH, and the development of the long-term
vision and direction for mining health and safety research. The Associate Director also oversees
and provides management for mine safety and health research within NIOSH and is responsible
for interaction with key mining safety and health stakeholders from industry, labor, and other
government agencies.
The first Associate Director for Mining was Dr. R. Larry Grayson, who accepted this position in
1997. He was succeeded by Dr. Lewis V. Wade (2000-2004) and later by Dr. Jeffrey L. Kohler
(2004-present). The names of the mining facilities were changed under NIOSH to the Pittsburgh
Research Laboratory (PRL) and the Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL). A total of 413 staff
positions transferred to NIOSH with the mining program, 336 at Pittsburgh and 77 at Spokane.
In 2001, NIOSH established the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL),
located in Bruceton, PA. The mission of NPPTL is to prevent and reduce occupational disease,
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