Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center operates the Mine Safety Project, which works to improve safety conditions for miners in the Appalachian coalfields. Primarily, ACLC represents miners who suffer workplace discrimination for making safety complaints. These cases are brought under Section 105(c) of the Mine Act, which makes it illegal for a company to retaliate against a miner through harassment, discipline or discharge for engaging in protected safety activities on the job.

The Law Center recently won temporary reinstatement for four miners who had been fired for making safety complaints. The miners were reinstated to their previous jobs with full benefits and pay while their cases proceed for adjudication on the merits before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission.