The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will allocate $8,348,423 in health and safety training grants for 46 states and the Navajo Nation in fiscal year 2014.

Grantees will use the funds to provide federally mandated training to miners. The grants cover training and retraining of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, including miners engaged in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand and gravel mining operations.

Grants were awarded based on applications from states, and they are administered by state mine inspectors' offices, state departments of labor, and state-supported colleges and universities. Each recipient tailors the program to the needs of its mines and miners — including mining conditions and hazards miners may encounter — and also provides technical assistance.

The state grants program was authorized by the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. States first received funding to provide health and safety training to miners in 1971.

"These state grants support the safety and health mission contained in the Mine Act," said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "These federal funds will enable miners to better prepare for the task at hand and arm them with the proper knowledge to avoid accidents and injuries."

In addition to health and safety training, some states use these grants to support their mine emergency response efforts and other Mine Act functions.

MSHA FY 2014 State Grant Awards

State

Grantee

City

Amount

Ala.

Bevill State Community College

Sumiton

$199,499

Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks

$51,092

Ariz.

Arizona State Mine Inspector

Phoenix

$287,287

Ark.

Arkansas Department of Labor

Little Rock

$99,335

Calif.

California Department of Industrial Relations

Chico

$338,619

Colo.

Colorado Department of Natural Resources

Denver

$210,406

Conn.

Central Connecticut State University

New Britain

$54,094

Fla.

Tallahassee Community College

Tallahassee

$171,509

Ga.

Technical College System of Georgia

Atlanta

$192,841

Ill.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Springfield

$219,948

Ind.

Vincennes University

Vincennes

$191,632

Iowa

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges

Davenport

$115,553

Kan.

Hutchinson Community College

Hutchinson

$83,067

Ky.

Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

Frankfort

$627,659

La.

Northshore Technical Community College

Greensburg

$81,643

Maine

Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Standards

Augusta

$55,719

Md.

Maryland Department of the Environment

La Plata

$57,843

Mass.

Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards

Boston

$65,651

Mich.

Michigan Technological University

Houghton

$215,470

Minn.

Minnesota State Colleges & Universities

St. Paul

$273,858

Miss.

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Jackson

$60,910

Mo.

Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations

Jefferson City

$206,947

Mont.

Montana Department of Labor & Industry

Helena

$137,460

Navajo Nation

Minerals Department

Window Rock

$26,839

Neb.

Board of Regents, University of Nebraska

Kearney

$66,623

Nev.

Nevada Department of Business and Industry

Carson City

$235,157

N.H.

New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development

Concord

$40,683

N.J.

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Trenton

$49,957

N.M.

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro

$147,305

N.Y.

New York State Department of Labor

Albany

$258,884

N.C.

North Carolina Department of Labor

Raleigh

$153,133

N.D.

North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education

Bismarck

$58,544

Ohio

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Columbus

$262,862

Okla.

Oklahoma Department of Mines

Oklahoma City

$107,800

Ore.

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande

$105,729

Pa.

Pennsylvania Bureau of Mine Safety

Uniontown

$533,392

S.C.

South Carolina State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education

Columbia

$65,831

S.D.

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Rapid City

$59,313

Tenn.

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Nashville

$139,864

Texas

University of Texas at Austin

Austin

$429,723

Utah

Utah State University Eastern

Price

$172,025

Vt.

Vermont Department of Labor

Montpelier

$70,482

Va.

Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy

Big Stone Gap

$268,849

Wash.

Eastern Washington University

Cheney

$148,423

W.Va.

West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training

Charleston

$563,256

Wis.

Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services

Madison

$192,249

Wyo.

Northern Wyoming Community College District

Gillette

$193,457

Total = $8,348,423