Regulation of the coal industry-health and safety, surface mining and other issues. Parts I and II

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6674246

Gordon, R L; Manula, C B; Ramani, R V

Efforts to appraise impacts of the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act (CMHSA) of 1949 and surface mining regulations are reviewed. Also, an overview of numerous policies restricting the production and use of coal is presented. The effects of CMHSA on output were appraised by three methods, all of which indicate that CMHSA has reduced productivity significantly and concurrently raised coal mining costs 20 to 30 percent. Regression analyses demonstrate that costs appear to be five to twenty times higher than safety benefits. Data on potential health benefits suggest that they are unlikely to be great enough to raise benefits to equal costs. Hence, CMHSA advocates must show that benefit estimates are seriously understated. Analysis of surface mining regulations demonstrates that unless estimates of aesthetic benefits are grossly underestimated, surface mining reclamation entails costs which far exceed benefits. Global implications of these studies are not easily determined. A simulation study discusses health and safety regulations. A case study of a western strip mine provides extensive data which may or may not be representative. Overall, the conclusion is that the cost effectiveness of surface mining regulations is questionable.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Mineral Economics
• OSTI ID: 6674246
• Report Number(s): PB-80-176597
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
016000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
COAL INDUSTRY
COAL MINING
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
LAND RECLAMATION
MATHEMATICS
MINING
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
STATISTICS
SURFACE MINING