840 HISTORY ()!• THF COMMIT Til ON MIINd AND TECHNOLOGY 



ment of a longer length oxygen self-rescuer; and additional funding 

 for education and training programs in the coal industry and its 

 R cv. D. arms. On September 16, 1976, as a direct result of the sub- 

 committee's hearings, ERDA and the Department of the Interior 

 signed a general memorandum of understanding on their relative 

 roles in coal mining R. & D. Secretary of Commerce Elliot L. Richard- 

 son remarked at the Hcchler coal mining R. & D. hearings on Sep- 

 tember 16, 19~6: 



It seems to me that these hearings represent an admirable example of the over- 

 sight function. I think that the role of the Congress in legislating sometimes inap- 

 propriately tends to eclipse the role of the Congress in finding out how effectively the 

 legislation it has already enacted is being administered. 



Your question with respect to the priority of health and safety, tor example, 

 under the 1969 act, is illustrative of this. I feel that we in the executive branch have 

 an affirmative responsibility both to account for what we are doing and to cooperate 

 in accomplishing the objectives established by the Congress. 



Hechler reminded Secretary Richardson that "the Federal Coal 

 Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 contains a very ringing preamble, 

 which states, 'The hrst priority and concern of all in the coal mining 

 industry must be the protection of the health and safety of its most 

 precious resource, the coal miner.' ' He went on to stress that, at a 

 time when the Nation was turning to the coal industry for increased 

 production, the record of 1,103 coal miners killed since January 1, 

 1970 "is a totally unacceptable record of safety." Hechler emphasized 

 that safety and environmental measures must go hand in hand with 

 increased coal production. 



During 1976, Hechler designated Pressler to preside over hearings 

 on the development of alternative technologies to transport coal by 

 pipeline. The hearings covered the current technical and economic 

 feasibility of long-distance coal pipeline transportation and alternative 

 transportation technologies for development of low-sulfur coal in the 

 West. Among the alternative technologies considered were coal-water 

 slurries, methyl-coal mixtures, pneumatic pipelines and unit trains. 

 The issues discussed by the members included the safety of the pipe- 

 lines, the possibility of converting abandoned pipelines to the trans- 

 portation of coal, water degradation and alternative uses of water. 



WALTER FLOWERS TAKES OVER SUBCOMMITTEE 



Walter Flowers would rate as the finest storyteller of the com- 

 mittee, a man who can go very quickly to the heart of any problem, 

 and whose air of casual unconcern masks a finely honed legal mind. 



