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August 19, 2002

David E. Hess
Secretary
Department of Environmental Protection
State of Pennsylvania
16th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building
P.O. Box 2063
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063

RE: Quecreek Mine Accident

Dear Secretary Hess:

On behalf of the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE's) 30,000 member safety, health and environmental professionals, our Mining Practice Specialty members, and ASSE's four chapters representing nearly 1500 members in Pennsylvania, I want to express congratulations to you and the entire staff of the Department of Environmental Protection for the role the Department played in saving the nine miners in the recent Quecreek Mine accident.

The dedication to saving these men only highlights the deep commitment all those involved in ensuring mine safety have to protecting lives and preventing injuries. If there is anything ASSE or its chapters in Pennsylvania can do to help your Department make sure that another Quecreek accident does not happen, I hope you will call on us to do so. While the efforts to save these men were heroic, the heroic day-to-day hard work of preventing such accidents from occurring in mines is the

focus ASSE's members and your office will continue to share.

Sincerely,

Mark D. Hansen, PE, CSP
President

cc: Larry R. Shimmel, President,
ASSE Central Pennsylvania Chapter
John D. Welsh, President,
Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter
Mark V. Skuby, President,
ASSE Philadelphia Chapter
Teresa A. Cole, President,
ASSE Western Pennsylvania Chapter

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