In 2005 and 2006, Harlan County was the epicenter of a string of mining tragedies in Kentucky that rightfully resulted in a renewed focus on mine safety.

It seems that the further we get from those tragic losses, however, the more legislators and coal operators we find seeking a return to the status quo.

State Rep. Keith Hall recently filed House Bill 119, which seeks to decrease from two to one the number of required medical personnel on duty at mines with fewer than 18 employees.

It’s not difficult to see that even two seriously injured miners might be too many for one mine emergency technician or emergency medical technician to care for at one time. Decreasing the number of available medical personnel puts lives at risk in a job that’s already fraught with danger.

Similarly wrong-headed are Senate Bill 170, which calls for a decrease in the number of annual state inspections each mine receives; and Senate Bill 64, which would strike a provision that requires the continuous operation of ventilation fans in order to keep explosive gases from accumulating.

The coal industry already makes a hefty profit on the backs — and, far too often, the blood — of its employees. To sacrifice important safety measures for the sake of saving a few dollars for coal companies or the state government is simply unconscionable.