-- Two local Ohio legislators have introduced separate legislation to strengthen Ohio's mine safety laws. State Sen. Charlie Wilson (D-St. Clairsville) and State Rep. Chuck Blasdel (R-East Liverpool) both introduced similar legislation this week.

Wilson announced his ideas Monday. He said his bill will mirror new mine safety regulations just passed in West Virginia. Wilson is proposing electronic tracking, more emergency training for miners and emergency oxygen reserves in the mines.

"Many Ohioans from my district work in Ohio or West Virginia mines," Wilson said. "Ohio miners deserve the best safety standards we can apply. If we can make it safe, we think we can make more jobs, and we can provide more electricity with the coal we mine."

Wilson said new computer technology could also benefit the miners underground.

"We're talking about having a computer chip on a miner, where we'll be able to identify where they are at all times," Wilson said.

Blasdel introduced House Bill 488 Thursday. The bill is also known as the Coal Safety and Modernization Act. Blasdel said the goal is to modernize the current statutes governing Ohio's coal industry and improve the safety of its workers.

"With House Bill 488, we are going to clean up and reclaim Eastern Ohio's abandoned coal mines," Blasdel said. "Safety is certainly a top concern for our miners, and we need to make sure that our workers have the tools and the training they need for a safe work environment."

Joint discussions with the Senate generated proposals to provide a monitoring system to alert miners in case of a fire; a provision to require additional oxygen storage underground in case of an accident; and a requisite for additional fire safety training.

"Ohio's mines have always been some of the safest in the region, and this bill will help to make them even safer," Blasdel said.

Jill Del Greco, NEWS9