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Kentucky mine safety officials describe inspector staffing, rescue duties and training volumes
Summary
Department for Natural Resources officials told the Budget Review Subcommittee the state has 36 mine safety inspectors, detailed required inspections and mine-rescue coverage, said the agency will not refill several vacant inspector positions and provided 2024 counts of licensed and active mines.
Gordon Sloan, commissioner of the Department for Natural Resources, told the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy that the Division of Mine Safety employs 36 inspectors statewide and will not refill several inspector vacancies as they are vacated.
Sloan spoke at the subcommittee meeting after introducing Deputy Commissioner David Fields and explaining the division’s staffing, inspection requirements, training programs and mine-rescue responsibilities. “I’m Gordon Sloan, commissioner of the Department for Natural Resources,” Sloan said as he opened the presentation.
The nub: why 36 inspectors and what they do
Sloan said the division staffs four branch offices to serve Kentucky’s mines: Madisonville in the west and three eastern branches based in Harlan, Hazard and Pikeville. He reported 11 inspectors in Harlan, seven in Hazard, eight in Madisonville and 10 in Pikeville, plus four additional inspectors who are on sick leave or workers’ compensation and whom the division does not plan to backfill. “That’s our plan,” Sloan said when a committee…
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