Mine Disaster in West Virginia

[Dude]

Just horrible. 25 dead, worst in two decades. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families.

[mpolak21]

Thank you for starting this thread, it's just horrific, really.

[gogo]

Unfortunately, there's not much more to be said. It's a terrible tragedy. Obviously, mining is an inherently dangerous business, but this is crazy (from this morning's LA Times):

 

The highly profitable mine, which employs 200 workers and produced 1.2 million tons of coal last year, has a history of safety violations. Over the last year, federal safety inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at the Upper Big Branch mine.

 

The company was cited for failing to follow its safety plan, allowing combustible coal dust to accumulate, and having improper firefighting equipment.

 

Three workers have been killed at the mine in the last 12 years. A worker was electrocuted in 2003, another died after a roof collapse in 2001 and a third died when a beam collapsed in 1998.

 

Asked early Tuesday about the mine's safety record, (WVa Gov. Joe) Manchin replied:

 

"Basically, you have the federal and the state both doing inspections, and they had to be within tolerance or, you know, you shut them down. I don't know if it was on the brink of tolerance . . . but I can tell you, sure it concerns me."

[isadorah]

Unfortunately, there's not much more to be said. It's a terrible tragedy. Obviously, mining is an inherently dangerous business, but this is crazy (from this morning's LA Times):

 

 

i think it is horrifying how many safety violations this mine had and how NOTHING was done about it.

[gogo]

MSHA can shut down mines based on a two-year pattern of violations. However, only violations which are "final" count towards the two-year pattern. If a mine appeals the violations (as I believe this company has), the appeal process can go on for years, and the violations won't be finalized until the end of that process.

 

It's a catch-22 for the regulatory agency, unfortunately. As enforcement is stepped up and higher penalties are assessed, more companies are going to appeal. The employers get their due process, but it's almost impossible for MSHA to close down the bad-actors in a timely way.

[Good Old Neon]

Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders:

 

Don Blankenship Called Safety Regulators ‘As Silly As Global Warming’

 

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/04/12/blankenship-silly-safety/

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders:

 

Don Blankenship Called Safety Regulators ‘As Silly As Global Warming’

 

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/04/12/blankenship-silly-safety/

 

Willful violation of and/or ignoring Mine Saftey regulations should lead to at least involuntarily manslaughter charges.

[u2roolz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wQYdmqK6Tk

 

I can't help but think of this song for the obvious reasons.

[mpolak21]

Yet another example of the porousness of certain borders:

 

Don Blankenship Called Safety Regulators ‘As Silly As Global Warming’

 

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/04/12/blankenship-silly-safety/

 

I can only assure you that the man is actually far worse than you can imagine.

[mpolak21]

Willful violation of and/or ignoring Mine Saftey regulations should lead to at least involuntarily manslaughter charges.

 

From your mouth to God's ears, mate. I am not sure it'll ever happen. Blankenship has villain in a bad weekend TBS action movie power here, he basically ran a guy out of a state Supreme Court of Appeals position, one of his mines has a massive coal silo filled with run off sludge from mountain top removal that sits three hundred feet above an elementary school, if that thing ever overflows... He's the face of Mountain Removal, and he sues almost anyone that says anything negative about publicly. If he ever reads VC, you, me, and GON might need to find some representation.

 

--Mike

[mpolak21]

I can't help but think of this song for the obvious reasons.

 

This is the one I've been listening to all week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCRqAzCevsY

[Moss]

Until the punishment and cost of ignoring safety outweighs the profits, I don't see anything changing.

[isadorah]

I find it interesting that NASA can lose 7 astronauts i a shuttle disaster and all space operations are grounded until all problems are identified and remedied. A mine with an extraordinary number of safety violations has the deadliest disaster in years with 29 workers dead and the government assigns the inspector that allowed safety violations go prior to a 6 person death disaster in 2006 to now be the investigator into this tragedy. If the government follows the NASA rule, the mine should be completely shut down until all safety violations and the cause are investigated and remedied. AND the regulations should change that a mine should be shut down until all safety violations are remedied or resolved via challenge. That would keep a mine from tying up the system with endless challenges and prompt them to fix problems instead of putting workers lives at risk every day.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Funny you should contrast that with NASA; definitely goes to show what the power of PR and image management can do to how a company views its safety record. Obviously, mine ownwers regulators don't seem to give a crap about how they're viewed in the public eye, because people will always work for the mines if there's a job to be had. In the case of NASA, a program struggling to remain relevant in the eyes of its funding source, 7 deaths are much more expensive. God, that's fucked up.

[isadorah]

Funny you should contrast that with NASA; definitely goes to show what the power of PR and image management can do to how a company views its safety record. Obviously, mine ownwers regulators don't seem to give a crap about how they're viewed in the public eye, because people will always work for the mines if there's a job to be had. In the case of NASA, a program struggling to remain relevant in the eyes of its funding source, 7 deaths are much more expensive. God, that's fucked up.

 

 

exactly. fucked up and a sad reflection on our way of life.