Tribune's rush to judgment not supported by the facts
Salt Lake Tribune - United StatesLetter to the EditorBy David James
September 1, 2007
In "Time for change: Crandall Canyon tragedy must bring reforms" (Our View, Aug. 25), The Salt Lake Tribune demands thorough investigations, answers and accountability. We couldn't agree more.
But then the editorial rushes to judgment and attacks the very mine safety professionals who have been key to the 38 percent reduction in the overall injury rate at U.S. coal mines over the past decade.
The rescue operations have been extremely frustrating, difficult and fraught with disappointments.
One of our colleagues was killed and another was injured in the rescue effort.
No one will work harder to find answers and make any needed changes than the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, Richard Stickler, whose father and grandfather were underground coal miners. His 40-year career includes serving as a miner, on a mine rescue team, as a mine superintendent and manager. As head of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Deep Mine Safety, he helped guide the successful rescue at Quecreek in 2002 and reduced the statewide injury rate by 44 percent.
In his 10 months at MSHA, new requirements for emergency response plans, breathable air and mine seals have been implemented and civil penalties were increased. MSHA has also invoked its harshest enforcement tool on eight habitually negligent operators.
MSHA has issued $39 million in penalties to mine operators since the beginning of this year - more than 85 percent higher than the same period in 2006. This includes a $1.5 million penalty to the operator of West Virginia's Aracoma mine, the most severe penalty in MSHA's history.
We understand the temptation to hastily assign blame and seek scapegoats. But The Tribune's doing so without benefit of facts gleaned through intensive investigations - which you advocate - is a disservice to your readers. * DAVID JAMES is assistant secretary of labor in the U.S. Department of Labor's office of public affairs.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Manchin to speak at UMWA rally
Manchin to speak at UMWA rally
September 02, 2007 8:20 AM
CHARLESTON, W.Va.
It wouldn't be Labor Day in West Virginia without the United Mine Workers' picnic, and this year there will be a special guest.Governor Manchin plans to address the 69th annual picnic and rally, held tomorrow at John Slack Memorial Park in Racine.
Manchin tops a list of speakers that also includes Congressman Nick Rahall and various labor leaders.
It's not just a day for speeches, though.
The mine workers will be celebrating the annual day off with swimming, food and music by gospel and bluegrass groups.
The event runs from noon to 6 p.m.
September 02, 2007 8:20 AM
CHARLESTON, W.Va.
It wouldn't be Labor Day in West Virginia without the United Mine Workers' picnic, and this year there will be a special guest.Governor Manchin plans to address the 69th annual picnic and rally, held tomorrow at John Slack Memorial Park in Racine.
Manchin tops a list of speakers that also includes Congressman Nick Rahall and various labor leaders.
It's not just a day for speeches, though.
The mine workers will be celebrating the annual day off with swimming, food and music by gospel and bluegrass groups.
The event runs from noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Crandall Canyon Mine rescue suspended
Crandall Canyon Mine rescue suspended
Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA
August 31, 2007
HUNTINGTON — The rescue effort for six miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon Mine since Aug. 6 is officially over, and there is no word of when or even if there will be a recovery effort of the bodies.
"I think our trapped miners are going to be in there a long time," said Colin King, a Salt Lake City attorney hired by the families of the missing miners. "I think this means that MSHA (Mine Health and Safety Administration) has concluded the miners are dead."
The final hope of finding any signs of life failed today as workers dropped a robot with a camera down into the fourth bore hole. All they found was more debris, mud and water, much like Thursday's dip into the seventh and final bore hole.
The next step is for MSHA to begin its investigation into the cause of the original mine collapse that trapped Kerry Allred, Manuel Sanchez, Louis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Don Erickson and Brandon Phillips. That investigation is expected to begin on Tuesday and last for possibly several months.
The families received what was to be their final briefing from MSHA officials at the Desert Edge Christian Chapel in Huntington today.
"We basically told the families that at this point and time, we've run out of options," said Rich Kulczewski, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor. As for drilling an eighth hole, he added, "We just don't know where else we could put a hole to get any other information."
Each of the seven holes, Kulczewski said, revealed basically the same things: conditions inside the mine that continue to deteriorate with the addition of more mud, water, debris and a sagging roof everywhere they were able to see with a camera. The robot used in today's final attempt down a bore hole is now stuck behind a rock, and its operators hope to recover the device on Saturday.
Speaking on behalf of the families, King said the fourth bore hole showed only a "muddy mess" inside the mine. He attended the briefing with MSHA officials.
"The families that were there were understandably very upset," King said. Some asked for a continuation of efforts. "There were quite a few tears in there."
King said MSHA officials had no answer as to when, if or how a recovery effort might someday take place.
"We intend to look at that very carefully," King said about plans for a recovery.
It was also too early, he said, to speculate on when a memorial service for the miners might be held or when funerals will happen. Those families now realize it may be many months before any consideration is even made about a recovery of their loved ones and any burial services.
"It's a bad day," King said. "And it's the end of a line we feared against and hoped against."
The men were trapped Aug. 6 when a portion of the Crandall Canyon Mine collapsed in an event so powerful that it registered 3.9 on the Richter scale. Three rescuers were killed and six others were hurt when a mountain "bump" that measured 1.6 in magnitude struck 10 days later.
Since then, underground efforts have been halted, and continuous drilling through the mountain into the mine has revealed no sign of the six men.
Recently, some family members acknowledged that their loved ones were dead, family spokesman Sonny Olsen told the Deseret Morning News earlier this week. However, they continue to hope for a recovery of the miners' bodies one day, when the seismic activity underground has subsided.
Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon said tonight that the families were taking it hard.
"It's pretty tough," he said. "They're giving up hope a little, because nobody knows what to do and where to go."
A series of investigations will begin next week, when MSHA will start looking into the cause of the collapse. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced that an outside investigation will also examine MSHA's handling of the mine disaster.
Several congressional probes are set to get underway next week. The state of Utah has also formed a panel to look into mine safety and whether states should take more control of it.
Deseret News - Salt Lake City,UT,USA
August 31, 2007
HUNTINGTON — The rescue effort for six miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon Mine since Aug. 6 is officially over, and there is no word of when or even if there will be a recovery effort of the bodies.
"I think our trapped miners are going to be in there a long time," said Colin King, a Salt Lake City attorney hired by the families of the missing miners. "I think this means that MSHA (Mine Health and Safety Administration) has concluded the miners are dead."
The final hope of finding any signs of life failed today as workers dropped a robot with a camera down into the fourth bore hole. All they found was more debris, mud and water, much like Thursday's dip into the seventh and final bore hole.
The next step is for MSHA to begin its investigation into the cause of the original mine collapse that trapped Kerry Allred, Manuel Sanchez, Louis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Don Erickson and Brandon Phillips. That investigation is expected to begin on Tuesday and last for possibly several months.
The families received what was to be their final briefing from MSHA officials at the Desert Edge Christian Chapel in Huntington today.
"We basically told the families that at this point and time, we've run out of options," said Rich Kulczewski, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor. As for drilling an eighth hole, he added, "We just don't know where else we could put a hole to get any other information."
Each of the seven holes, Kulczewski said, revealed basically the same things: conditions inside the mine that continue to deteriorate with the addition of more mud, water, debris and a sagging roof everywhere they were able to see with a camera. The robot used in today's final attempt down a bore hole is now stuck behind a rock, and its operators hope to recover the device on Saturday.
Speaking on behalf of the families, King said the fourth bore hole showed only a "muddy mess" inside the mine. He attended the briefing with MSHA officials.
"The families that were there were understandably very upset," King said. Some asked for a continuation of efforts. "There were quite a few tears in there."
King said MSHA officials had no answer as to when, if or how a recovery effort might someday take place.
"We intend to look at that very carefully," King said about plans for a recovery.
It was also too early, he said, to speculate on when a memorial service for the miners might be held or when funerals will happen. Those families now realize it may be many months before any consideration is even made about a recovery of their loved ones and any burial services.
"It's a bad day," King said. "And it's the end of a line we feared against and hoped against."
The men were trapped Aug. 6 when a portion of the Crandall Canyon Mine collapsed in an event so powerful that it registered 3.9 on the Richter scale. Three rescuers were killed and six others were hurt when a mountain "bump" that measured 1.6 in magnitude struck 10 days later.
Since then, underground efforts have been halted, and continuous drilling through the mountain into the mine has revealed no sign of the six men.
Recently, some family members acknowledged that their loved ones were dead, family spokesman Sonny Olsen told the Deseret Morning News earlier this week. However, they continue to hope for a recovery of the miners' bodies one day, when the seismic activity underground has subsided.
Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon said tonight that the families were taking it hard.
"It's pretty tough," he said. "They're giving up hope a little, because nobody knows what to do and where to go."
A series of investigations will begin next week, when MSHA will start looking into the cause of the collapse. U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced that an outside investigation will also examine MSHA's handling of the mine disaster.
Several congressional probes are set to get underway next week. The state of Utah has also formed a panel to look into mine safety and whether states should take more control of it.
TIRED AND LEAVING WEST VIRGINIA!
TIRED AND LEAVING WEST VIRGINIA!
We can't take it anymore so we are leaving West Virginia. We're tired of living in a place where the air is so clean. Tired of having the lowest crime rate in the country. Tired of feeling real breasts and kissing real lips. No more listening to bands that play because they love it and not to be cool. Tired of living in a place where we know what people think of us because they aren't afraid to say it. Tired of the nicest down to earth people in the world. Tired of living in a land that is so plush it looks like a garden. Tired of biking, skiing, mud bogging, boating, hunting, and all that crap. Tired of getting punched in the nose instead of shot. We just can't take the manners and hard work ethic. We hate not having to sit in traffic and driving straight to where we are going. Don't get us started on these fun curvy roads. They should all be straight and boring. Hate that we are so patriotic and send the highest percentage of soldiers to every war. No more living in a land where people respect private property. No more of that "If you don't bother anybody I don't care what you do." attitude. Why can't I see my neighbors house. It should be two feet away. Damn these four perfect seasons. Tired of being judged on personality and not what our dad does or the car we drive. We want to live somewhere that the people aren't so proud of where they came from that they call it "Almost Heaven". Screw it we are staying.
Hillbilly Proud {It's a way of life not just a logo}
Wireless Tracking System Plans Rejected
Wireless Tracking System Plans Rejected
WHSV - Harrisonburg,VA,USAAugust 31, 2007
Individualized plans for installing wireless communication and tracking systems in West Virginia's 254 underground coal mines were rejected Friday.
The state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training says the proposals lacked detailed descriptions of how the systems would be developed and used. Coal operators have until September 21 to revise the plans.
West Virginia Coal Association Vice President Chris Hamilton says the mass rejection shows just how new and complex the systems are. But he says the inability to find six men trapped in a Utah mine shows that miners need two-way communications.
The state made the systems mandatory after the Sago Mine accident last year. State safety chief Ron Wooten says Miners' Health, Safety and Training expected problems with the first plans. But he adds that mines should begin installing systems this fall.
In combination with extra emergency air supplies, mandatory rescue chambers and other changes, Wooten says rescuers will have a better chance to find and save miners after an accident.
WHSV - Harrisonburg,VA,USAAugust 31, 2007
Individualized plans for installing wireless communication and tracking systems in West Virginia's 254 underground coal mines were rejected Friday.
The state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training says the proposals lacked detailed descriptions of how the systems would be developed and used. Coal operators have until September 21 to revise the plans.
West Virginia Coal Association Vice President Chris Hamilton says the mass rejection shows just how new and complex the systems are. But he says the inability to find six men trapped in a Utah mine shows that miners need two-way communications.
The state made the systems mandatory after the Sago Mine accident last year. State safety chief Ron Wooten says Miners' Health, Safety and Training expected problems with the first plans. But he adds that mines should begin installing systems this fall.
In combination with extra emergency air supplies, mandatory rescue chambers and other changes, Wooten says rescuers will have a better chance to find and save miners after an accident.
1 Dead, 5 Missing in SW China Colliery Gas Burst
1 Dead, 5 Missing in SW China Colliery Gas Burst
China Internet Information Center - ChinaSeptember 1, 2007
One person is dead and five are missing after a gas burst at a coal mine in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Friday, work safety officials said.
The accident occurred at 12:30 PM at the Leijiashan coal mine in Zunyi County when 36 miners were working underground, of whom 30 managed to escape, according to the Guizhou Provincial Bureau of Work Safety.
Rescuers found one body in the afternoon, but five miners were still missing, an official said.
The coal mine was being expanded to increase capacity from 30,000 tons annually to 60,000 tons when the accident happened.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
China Internet Information Center - ChinaSeptember 1, 2007
One person is dead and five are missing after a gas burst at a coal mine in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Friday, work safety officials said.
The accident occurred at 12:30 PM at the Leijiashan coal mine in Zunyi County when 36 miners were working underground, of whom 30 managed to escape, according to the Guizhou Provincial Bureau of Work Safety.
Rescuers found one body in the afternoon, but five miners were still missing, an official said.
The coal mine was being expanded to increase capacity from 30,000 tons annually to 60,000 tons when the accident happened.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.
Loosening rules on mining technique will harm region
Loosening rules on mining technique will harm region
from the Kentucky
Kernal:http://media.www.kykernel.com/media/storage/paper305/news/2007/08/28/Opinions/Editorial.Loosening.Rules.On.Mining.Technique.Will.Harm.Region-2939495.shtml
Mountaintop removal, the destructive strip-mining practice that has ravished the Appalachian landscape for more than 20 years, is on the verge of gaining a stronger legal foothold if a proposed federal regulation becomes law.
The mining technique entails blowing the tops off mountains to make the coal inside more easily accessible, and a large amount of waste, known as spoil, is produced in the process. The proposed new regulation, which the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement published Friday, makes it easier for mine operators to dump the spoil within 100 feet of flowing streams as long as they agree to minimize damage to streams "to the extent possible."
But the proposal gives no specific guidelines about which waste-dumping practices fall outside the law. Instead, it says regulators will decide "on a case-by-case basis" whether mine operators have failed to do enough to avoid damaging the environment.
So whereas current law errs on the side of the environment - mine operators must get an exemption each time they put spoil in a stream, the Kernel reported Friday - the change, if enacted, will give waste-dumpers the benefit of the doubt.
A coal-industry representative downplayed the significance of the proposed change, saying it wouldn't lead to more mountaintop removal.
"This new change is intended to codify existing practices that have been occurring for the past 30 years," said Bill Caylor, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, in Friday's Kernel. "This does not mean that we will be doing more surface mining as a result of the change. It will be business as usual."
But business as usual is exactly the problem: Mountaintop removal has already done irreparable harm to waterways in Appalachia. By 2002, spoil from mining sites had already affected 724 miles, or 1.2 percent, of central Appalachian streams, according to the environmental impact statement accompanying the proposed change - and the damage isn't slowing down.
"If valley fills continue to be constructed at this rate," the statement said, "an additional 724 miles of headwater stream would be buried in 17 years or by 2018."
Mountaintop removal is not an issue that the UK community can comfortably ignore, even if the landscapes being ruined are hundreds of miles east of Lexington. Coal makes up 14 percent of Kentucky's economy and provides 90 percent of the state's electricity, according to figures on the state's Web site (http://www.kentucky.gov/). Even when we just flick on the lights, we're reaping the benefits of a mining practice that is ruining stream ecosystems in Appalachia.
Fortunately, the new rules won't take effect until at least the end of a 60-day period, which ends Oct. 23, for residents to submit comments about the proposal.
To comment online, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov/), select "Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement" from the first drop-down box, and press "Submit."
On the list of results that comes up, find the document called "Excess Spoil, Coal Mine Waste, and Buffers for Waters of the United States," and press the talk-bubble image on the right to see the comment form.
Federal officials should be strengthening regulations on mountaintop removal, not making it easier for mine operators to harm Appalachian ecosystems. At this point, public outcry may be the only way to remind them of that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------© Copyright 2007 KY Kernel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Bringing Down the Mountains: the Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities," now available for preorder through the WVU Press, at amazon.com, or other fine on-line retailers.
from the Kentucky
Kernal:http://media.www.kykernel.com/media/storage/paper305/news/2007/08/28/Opinions/Editorial.Loosening.Rules.On.Mining.Technique.Will.Harm.Region-2939495.shtml
Mountaintop removal, the destructive strip-mining practice that has ravished the Appalachian landscape for more than 20 years, is on the verge of gaining a stronger legal foothold if a proposed federal regulation becomes law.
The mining technique entails blowing the tops off mountains to make the coal inside more easily accessible, and a large amount of waste, known as spoil, is produced in the process. The proposed new regulation, which the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement published Friday, makes it easier for mine operators to dump the spoil within 100 feet of flowing streams as long as they agree to minimize damage to streams "to the extent possible."
But the proposal gives no specific guidelines about which waste-dumping practices fall outside the law. Instead, it says regulators will decide "on a case-by-case basis" whether mine operators have failed to do enough to avoid damaging the environment.
So whereas current law errs on the side of the environment - mine operators must get an exemption each time they put spoil in a stream, the Kernel reported Friday - the change, if enacted, will give waste-dumpers the benefit of the doubt.
A coal-industry representative downplayed the significance of the proposed change, saying it wouldn't lead to more mountaintop removal.
"This new change is intended to codify existing practices that have been occurring for the past 30 years," said Bill Caylor, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, in Friday's Kernel. "This does not mean that we will be doing more surface mining as a result of the change. It will be business as usual."
But business as usual is exactly the problem: Mountaintop removal has already done irreparable harm to waterways in Appalachia. By 2002, spoil from mining sites had already affected 724 miles, or 1.2 percent, of central Appalachian streams, according to the environmental impact statement accompanying the proposed change - and the damage isn't slowing down.
"If valley fills continue to be constructed at this rate," the statement said, "an additional 724 miles of headwater stream would be buried in 17 years or by 2018."
Mountaintop removal is not an issue that the UK community can comfortably ignore, even if the landscapes being ruined are hundreds of miles east of Lexington. Coal makes up 14 percent of Kentucky's economy and provides 90 percent of the state's electricity, according to figures on the state's Web site (http://www.kentucky.gov/). Even when we just flick on the lights, we're reaping the benefits of a mining practice that is ruining stream ecosystems in Appalachia.
Fortunately, the new rules won't take effect until at least the end of a 60-day period, which ends Oct. 23, for residents to submit comments about the proposal.
To comment online, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal (http://www.regulations.gov/), select "Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement" from the first drop-down box, and press "Submit."
On the list of results that comes up, find the document called "Excess Spoil, Coal Mine Waste, and Buffers for Waters of the United States," and press the talk-bubble image on the right to see the comment form.
Federal officials should be strengthening regulations on mountaintop removal, not making it easier for mine operators to harm Appalachian ecosystems. At this point, public outcry may be the only way to remind them of that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------© Copyright 2007 KY Kernel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Bringing Down the Mountains: the Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities," now available for preorder through the WVU Press, at amazon.com, or other fine on-line retailers.
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