DEP’s Bureau of Mine Safety routinely works with the PRL to provide training, best practices, and tools to aid the mining industry.
This collaboration has resulted in technical guidance and best practices for mining companies on topics like mining near unconventional gas wells and methane emissions control systems.
The facility has also hosted mine rescue training activities at its experimental mine.
PRL has pioneered lifesaving research and technology to monitor for respirable crystalline silica and coal dust, prevent unsafe noise levels, and ensure that roofing supports are sufficient to keep miners safe.
The Pittsburgh office helped develop specialized drilling equipment and a detailed protocol following the 2002 Quecreek Mine disaster, in which nine miners were trapped underground for 77 hours before finally being rescued.
“Pennsylvania has a long legacy of mining — stretching back hundreds of years — and we owe it to our mine workers, their families, and mining communities to ensure their safety and continue this critical research,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley in the letter. “Since its inception in 1910 as the Bureau of Mines, the work accomplished by this group has undoubtedly saved lives and advanced the industry forward. Losing this facility will impede advancements in mine safety, harm the mining industry, and put workers at risk."
Click Here for a copy of the letter.
Click Here for the DEP announcement.
For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.
(Photo: 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue.)
[Posted: September 5, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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