South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds questioned Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. relating to the School of Mines in Rapid City.
This orbited changes to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health – or NIOSH – and recent layoffs.
“This office focuses on the unique challenges of western mining," Rounds said. "This division provides critical technical support for institutions like the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, which recently received a $1.2m grant to improve underground mining safety. However, that grant has now been canceled due to loss of oversight from the Spokane office. This is not just a missed opportunity, it undermines our ability to meet national security goals.”
In response RFK Jr. said he’ll work with Rounds, without offering a timeframe.
“Senator, I was able to bring back 328 NIOSH workers, mainly for soft rock mining, coal mining, in Cleveland and Morgantown," Kennedy said. "I will work with you.”
This comes amid widespread firing of federal employees during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.