🗞️ Digging Into Safety: Federal Agency Opens $10.5 Million in Mine Training Grants
The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is making $10.5 million in grant funding available to states for mandatory miner safety training, with applications due August 10, 2026.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration announced this week it would open $10.5 million in grant funding to state, tribal, and territorial governments to support federally mandated safety and health training for miners across the country. The announcement comes on the heels of a separate MSHA report showing the mining industry's all-injury rate fell to a record low of 1.74 per 200,000 hours worked in 2025, down from 1.82 the prior year.
Under the agency's Fiscal Year 2026 State Grants Program, funds will support training and retraining for miners working in surface operations, underground coal mines, and metal and non-metal mines nationwide. MSHA will cover up to 80 percent of program costs, with grant recipients required to contribute a minimum of 20 percent.
The agency is directing applicants to prioritize training for workers at new and small mining operations, which tend to face greater compliance burdens and safety risks. Grantees are also encouraged to develop compliance assistance programs tailored to operators extracting critical minerals, including coal, consistent with the federal government's stated goal of expanding domestic mineral production. Training on miners' statutory rights under the Mine Safety and Health Act is also specifically emphasized.
Historically, MSHA state grants have been channeled to state mine inspectors' offices, departments of labor, and state-supported colleges and universities, which in turn tailor programs to the hazards and conditions specific to their regions. The program currently reaches 49 states and the Navajo Nation.
Grant applications must be submitted by August 10, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced on or before September 30, 2026.
Key Points
- MSHA is making $10.5 million in grants available through its FY2026 State Grants Program to fund federally mandated mine safety training.
- State, tribal, and territorial governments are eligible; MSHA covers up to 80% of costs, with recipients funding at least 20%.
- Priority focus areas include new and small mining operations, critical minerals extraction, and miners' rights education.
- The announcement follows MSHA's April 2026 report that the mining industry's all-injury rate hit an all-time low of 1.74 per 200,000 hours worked in 2025.
- Grant applications are due August 10, 2026, with awards issued by September 30, 2026.
- Funds are historically distributed to state mine inspectors' offices, labor departments, and state universities across 49 states and the Navajo Nation.
Primary Source Author: U.S. Department of Labor / Mine Safety and Health Administration
Primary Source: U.S. Department of Labor News Release, June 9, 2026
Primary Source Link: DOL MSHA News Release, June 9, 2026
