Senate mine hearing to eye enforcement weaknesses

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate plans to explore weaknesses in federal mine safety laws when it convenes the first of a series of hearings this month on the deadly mining disaster in West Virginia.

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin says the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will meet April 27 to look at whether the system encourages mine operators to challenge safety violations and delay penalties.

Harkin chairs the committee, and he says he doesn't expect the initial hearing to explore specific causes of the explosion that killed 29 mine workers.

Harkin says a future hearing by a panel that oversees the Labor Department budget will look at whether federal mine safety agencies have enough money to process appeals. No date has been set for that hearing.