The biggest environmental threat to the health of coal miners is coal dust-dust that, generated in the cutting and moving of the coal, finds its way into the terminal passages of the lungs. Years of exposure to this kind of dust can cause "black lung," or coal miner's pneumoconiosisa disease that can, in advanced cases, bring death. It has been estimated that more miners die ultimately of black lung than are killed in mine accidents.

A significant advance in dust reduction was achieved during the year by the Bureau, which found that application of conventional technology can greatly reduce the exposure of miners to dust generated by the most important source continuous mining machines.

These devices, usually over 30 feet long, chew or bore their way through solid coal. Their high productivity has made them widely popular in underground coal mines, but they also produce high concentrations of dust where they operate. The Bureau found that much of this dust could be kept out of the lungs of the mining-machine crewthe men in greatest danger-by dispersing the dust with high-pressure auxiliary fans. Most coal mines are already equipped with special ventilating systems, so that the cost of installing auxiliary fan systems would be relatively moderate. This important discovery makes it possible for mine operators to comply with the first Federal dust standard, set by Congress last year, by using conventional, readily available equipment.

Looking ahead, however, new technology will be needed to meet more stringent standards that will be applied in coming years. Research on better dust control techniques is an important part of the Bureau's work to improve the mine environment. Because the need is urgent, some of this research is being done by private firms under contract

to the Bureau. For example, under a major contract awarded this year, an eastern firm will explore ways in which the cutting heads of continuous mining machines can be redesigned to produce less respirable dust and more large pieces of coal. Improved designs will be field-tested under actual mining conditions. A western company will evaluate all types of contemporary dust-collecting equipment with a view toward adapting new techniques to the mining environment. The work will include a detailed analysis of the nature and composition of coal dust. A midwestern firm will test chemical foam as a dust suppressant.

Meanwhile, the most recently completed dust research effort within the Bureau showed that, in some kinds of mining where explosives are used to break the coal, dust production can be reduced by stemming the explosive charges with water-filled bags.

Research is one of two major ways in which the Bureau tries to achieve a better working environment for miners. The other is mine inspection to enforce health and safety laws and regulations. The Bureau's inspection responsibilities increased greatly in 1970, as it began enforcement of two major laws covering all the mines in the United States.

The first is the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Although many of its requirements and standards were spelled out by the Congress, many others had to be drawn up and set forth by the Secretary. Giving assistance in the drafting of regulations is an important Bureau job. This immense task requires writing comprehensive health and safety rules for every aspect of coal mining, from drilling and blasting to control of respirable dust, use of electricity and transportation of men and coal. The rules cover every kind of coal mine-large and small, surface and underground.

Enforcement of the Act was the next monumental task. Late in 1969, when it became apparent that a new law would probably be passed, the Bureau began hiring and training new coal mine inspectors to enlarge its staff of about 250. As finally passed, the law requires an inspection force of about 1,000-a goal the Bureau hopes to meet by the middle of 1971.

Because experienced coal miners are most readily trained as inspectors, the Bureau's recruiting drive is aimed at miners across the Nation. Radio and television are widely used to get across the Bureau's message: The Federal Government has outstanding career opportunities for coal miners. Special Civil Service coal mine inspector examinations were held in mining towns throughout America to make it as easy as possible for potential candidates to join up.

A National Mine Safety Academy is being established to train new mine inspectors. Its university-level courses will also be used to keep experienced inspectors up-to-date on new health and safety developments in mining technology.

Meanwhile, the Bureau made plans to use its existing inspection force with maximum efficiency. Enforcement was begun in March 1970, with a series of "partial-butrepresentative" inspections that allowed the Bureau to visit

every underground coal mine as quickly as possible. This was accomplished by having inspectors examine representative parts of the larger mines. Then the Bureau concentrated its manpower on spot inspections of mines with especially hazardous conditions. Next in priority was a complete inspection of every underground coal mine.

Altogether, the Bureau's goal has been to make about 30,000 mine inspections by the middle of 1971-roughly 85 percent of the number required by the Act. From that time on, the Bureau calculates, its inspection force should be large enough to make all the inspections required in the law.

Similar efforts were carried out by the Bureau under the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act of 1966. This law gives Federal protection, for the first time, to workers in America's 18,000 non-coal mines, both surface and underground. Health and safety regulations authorized by the Act were recommended to the Secretary by special advisory panels, and took effect on July 31, 1970. The Bureau began inspections immediately. Its force of inspectors, although smaller than the coal mine inspection force, is adequate to the task because there are far fewer underground mines to inspect in this category. In addition, the metal and nonmetallic mine safety law requires fewer annual inspections than the coal mine law.

The Bureau believes that enforcement of these two laws, coupled with aggressive research to upgrade the quality of mine health and safety technology, will bring a measurable improvement in the miner's environment during the new decade. Perhaps in the foreseeable future, mining will no longer be counted among the most dangerous occupations pursued by men.

Overseers of Our
Hidden Resources

Coal is an abundant U.S. energy resource. The Office

of Coal Research (OCR) was established to develop utilization of this resource through contract research and development.

It is estimated that consumption of energy at the turn of the century will be several times today's use, provided such energy is available.

Future energy requirements can be satisfied only if the fossil fuels, hydroelectric and nuclear energy make maximum contributions. Environmental considerations, technological developments, supply, demand and price relationships, consumer choice and Government energy policy, will determine each energy source's contribution. The Office of Coal Research has underway a comprehensive program for the conversion of coal to liquid and gaseous fuels as well as programs for the production of electricity by conventional and technologically more advanced methods. Each facet of the program will reduce or eliminate potential environmental contaminants.

A prospective gap in natural gas supply will be difficult

The proposed Alyeska pipeline, which would carry oil 800 miles across Alaska, has proved one of the most controversial environmental proposals of recent years. Adding to the complexity of the problem is the need to settle Native land claims and the increasing U.S. demand for oil.

to close unless synthetic gas from coal is available fairly soon and in increasing quantities. The American Gas Association is contributing a portion of the costs of OCR's coal-to-gas conversion research conducted by the Institute of Gas Technology. This research promises to produce synthetic methane from coal at competitive prices. It is the most advanced of the conversion research processes and should be available for use when alternatives are few and the need for additional gas is great.

he Office of Oil and Gas, the Department's main contact point with the oil and gas industry, encourages efforts by the industry to solve environmental problems raised by the nature of its operations. In this endeavor, the Office works closely with the National Petroleum Council, a toplevel industry advisory group to the Secretary. The Council has recently undertaken a comprehensive study of conservation responsibilities of the petroleum industry, and has issued an interim report discussing key issues.

In almost every phase of its production, transportation, processing and use, petroleum affects the environment. The production of oil brings vast quantities of salt water to the earth's surface, which must be disposed of in a way that does not contaminate fresh-water sources. Tankers carrying as much as a half-million barrels of oil per trip regularly enter our major ports to discharge their cargoes; precautions must be taken lest accidents involving these tankers create mammoth oil spills. The gasoline-powered

automobile accounts for 60 percent of all air pollution in the United States.

The environmental challenge of the Seventies demands that we reconcile the vast and necessary production and consumption of oil with measures required to protect and preserve our natural heritage.

The request by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

for a right-of-way to carry oil 800 miles across Alaska has presented Interior an unprecedented challenge and has set off one of the most complex environmental controversies in recent years.

Under the proposal made by Alyeska-a service subsidiary of seven major oil companies with leases on the petroleum-rich Arctic slope of Alaska-a 48-inch pipeline would be constructed from Prudhoe Bay southward across barren tundra, rugged mountains and forests, and numerous rivers and streams, to the ice-free port of Valdez on the south coast. There, the oil would be loaded aboard tankers and carried to Puget Sound and possibly other West Coast ports.

The pipeline would be one of the biggest privately financed construction jobs in history. Most of the land proposed to be crossed is public domain, administered by Interior's Bureau of Land Management.

Alaska Native land claims, fisheries, wilderness values, existence of archeologically significant sites, potential water

pollution and wildlife injury, and the balance of unique and fragile life systems-all these, and other considerations, have entered into the public hearings and agency comments on the plan. The oil would flow at high temperatures and great volume so a pipeline break caused by accident or earthquake could be disastrous unless immediately checked.

Deeply involved in the problem is the unquestioned U.S. need for oil in an era when demand is rising and the Nation appears headed for increased dependence on uncertain foreign sources. Alaska's economy and State revenues are among other factors to be weighed.

More than two years of Government and private study have gone into the project; many stipulations have been adopted to safeguard against ecological damage, but numerous questions remain unanswered.

Secretary Morton has declared that the Alaska Native claims issue, directly involving the future of more than 50,000 Americans, will be given high priority in any resolution of the overall problem.

While Congress was considering Native land claims legislation, Secretary Morton ordered an inter-agency study of the tanker phase of the proposed transport system and directed that all feasible alternatives to the Alyeska pipeline plan be given thorough consideration.

He made it clear that he believed Arctic Slope oil and gas must be brought to market, but that he was actively seeking answers as to the best possible method.