Underground coal mining has always been recognized as one of the most hazardous occupations in the United States. Since 1910, more than 85,000 underground miners have lost their lives while mining coal. Approximately 47% of these fatalities, involving 40,000 miners, have occurred because of falls of roof and rib, which is a greater proportion than for any other type of incident classification.

Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.