According to the Department of Government Efficiency’s website, seven leases for Mine Safety and Health Administration offices in Kentucky are being terminated.
According to the DOGE website, office leases in Barbourville, Beaver Dam, Hazard, Prestonsburg, Madisonville, Owensboro, Harlan, and Sturgis are being terminated.
According to the website, the federal government will save about $2.5 million as a result of such cuts. In total, the EPA is closing 37 of these offices around the nation.
Additionally, Lexington’s Office of Surface Mining and Regulation Enforcement is being eliminated.
Chelsea Barnes works with the local environmental group Appalachian Voices as the Director of Government Affairs. According to her, that can make it harder for employees to perform their duties.
“All that means to me is that the mines will be inspected even less often, and we know that the less often we have inspections, the more often we have accidents and deaths, and we’ll see higher rates of black lung disease,” Barnes stated.
According to the U.S. Office of Inspector General, staffing concerns caused the agency to skip mine inspections last year.
Big News for Parents: $6,500 Housing Payments from New State Program
It’s unknown if employees will be moved into the remaining, nearby workplaces. These consist of a district office in Norton, Virginia, as well as field offices in Lexington and Pikeville.
“It’s just going to be really challenging to, one, keep up with inspections when you’re having to spend more of your time in the car, and, two, is probably making some families reconsider where they live,” Barnes stated.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, is collaborating with other government organizations to “secure alternative space,” according to a spokesman.
Say Goodbye to America’s Iconic Banknote: When It Will No Longer Be in Circulation
“GSA is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization. A component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases. To the extent these terminations affect public facing facilities and/or existing tenants, we are working with our agency partners to secure suitable alternative space. In many cases this will allow us to increase space utilization and obtain improved terms,” according to the statement.
