WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), joined by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has raised urgent concerns in a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., regarding recent layoffs that have significantly reduced the workforce at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Nearly 900 employees, including about 300 from the Pittsburgh office, have been affected, raising alarms about the future of critical mining health and safety programs.
According to reports referenced in the letter, the layoffs affect two-thirds of NIOSH’s staff, including all personnel at its Pittsburgh Mining Research Division, which specializes in coal miner safety, and its Spokane Mining Research Division, focused on hard rock mining. Over 185 employees were also laid off from the Morgantown, WV, office. These offices have historically been central to research and initiatives aimed at protecting miner health and safety.
The senators expressed particular concern over the impact on the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, which provides no-cost medical screenings to miners and facilitates early detection of black lung disease and other work-related conditions. “We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated,” the senators stated.
The layoffs have sparked questions over how NIOSH will fulfill its obligations with a significantly reduced workforce. The senators requested detailed answers, including the number of affected employees, positions eliminated, and justification for termination. They also demanded analysis on how the reorganization will impact essential programs.
“Programs like these are essential to ensuring the health and safety of miners and their families,” the letter emphasized. With mining communities already experiencing service gaps, the senators warned of the long-term consequences if these roles remain unfilled.
The letter underscores the senators’ push for transparency and accountability from HHS to safeguard the critical programs relied upon by mining communities across the country.
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