Patriot Coal Mine Rescue Team Honored by Governor

For Sago's sake, let's get this right

Daily Mail - Charleston - Charleston,WV,USA
Opinion

November 1, 2007

After terrible events such as the 2006 deaths of 12 men at the Sago mine in Upshur County, politicians naturally want to prevent such things from happening again.

The understandable impulse to act quickly may look good, but it can produce as much exasperation as progress. That may be the case with the MINER Act that Congress passed following the Sago explosion.

Congress passed the act. The Mine Safety and Health Administration took what Congress mandated and translated it into proposed rules, then took to the road to get public comment on its proposals.

At the Charleston hearing this week, rescue crews said the proposed rules go too far. Industry spokesmen said they could result in fewer rescue teams, not more. The UMW said the rules don't go far enough.

As Ken Ward of the Gazette reported, current law requires that rescuers be able to reach underground mines within two hours. The proposed rules require response within one hour.

James Murray of Mingo Logan Coal Co.'s Mountaineer Team said response time hasn't been the issue and the one-hour requirement shouldn't be applied. Teams have been able to respond when notified, he said. "The issue is notification."

Ken Perdue of Alpha Natural Resources said MSHA should exempt existing teams from the one-hour travel time requirement. Otherwise, many will have to move or open new stations, disrupting coverage that has been in place for years.

Both men said rescue crews should not be required to train at each mine they cover. Perdue said that rule could result in fewer rather than more rescue teams because it would break up existing teams and add so much training time that members might quit.

Doug Pauley of the Pocahontas Mine Rescue Association in McDowell County said the agency should change its definition of what constitutes a small mine.

These are all useful comments from people who know a great deal about the subject. MSHA officials were sympathetic, but the problematic requirements are not a matter of regulations MSHA can change, but of law, which Congress would have to change.

Members of Congress, in being so specific about issues they don't understand, could perversely have imperiled emergency responses rather then strengthened them.

That would be a terrible thing to do to miners in the wake of Sago.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5815

From: "Rob McGee" <usmra@...>
Date: Thu Nov 1, 2007 5:17 pm
Subject: Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

usmra

Ken Purdue of Alpha Natural Resources brings forth an interesting point where he states that the additional training time might result in team members quitting.

We must also consider the scenario of non-compliance which can result in nullifying an individuals "team member" status. These are the requirements that team members must meet:

�	Train 64 hours per year
�	Train under O₂ one hour monthly or 2 hours bimonthly
�	Train twice a year at each mine served
�	Train underground every 6 months

By strict interpretation, failing to meet any one of these items removes an individuals "member" status and would require the offender to re-complete the 20 hour initial training to continue.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has also considered this and perhaps share your ideas which may assist others in avoiding this.

Rob

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "USMRA" <usmra@...> wrote:
>
> For Sago's sake, let's get this right
> Daily Mail - Charleston - Charleston,WV,USA
> Opinion
> November 1, 2007
>
>
>
> After terrible events such as the 2006 deaths of 12 men at the Sago mine in Upshur County, politicians naturally want to prevent such things from happening again.
> The understandable impulse to act quickly may look good, but it can produce as much exasperation as progress. That may be the case with the MINER Act that Congress passed following the Sago explosion.
>
> Congress passed the act. The Mine Safety and Health Administration took what Congress mandated and translated it into proposed rules, then took to the road to get public comment on its proposals.
>
> At the Charleston hearing this week, rescue crews said the proposed rules go too far. Industry spokesmen said they could result in fewer rescue teams, not more. The UMW said the rules don't go far enough.
>
> As Ken Ward of the Gazette reported, current law requires that rescuers be able to reach underground mines within two hours. The proposed rules require response within one hour.
>
> James Murray of Mingo Logan Coal Co.'s Mountaineer Team said response time hasn't been the issue and the one-hour requirement shouldn't be applied. Teams have been able to respond when notified, he said. "The issue is notification."
>
> Ken Perdue of Alpha Natural Resources said MSHA should exempt existing teams from the one-hour travel time requirement. Otherwise, many will have to move or open new stations, disrupting coverage that has been in place for years.
>
> Both men said rescue crews should not be required to train at each mine they cover. Perdue said that rule could result in fewer rather than more rescue teams because it would break up existing teams and add so much training time that members might quit.
>
> Doug Pauley of the Pocahontas Mine Rescue Association in McDowell County said the agency should change its definition of what constitutes a small mine.
>
> These are all useful comments from people who know a great deal about the subject. MSHA officials were sympathetic, but the problematic requirements are not a matter of regulations MSHA can change, but of law, which Congress would have to change.
>
> Members of Congress, in being so specific about issues they don't understand, could perversely have imperiled emergency responses rather then strengthened them.
>
> That would be a terrible thing to do to miners in the wake of Sago.
>
> _______________________________
> U. S. Mine Rescue Association
> www.usmra.com
>

#5816

From: "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...>
Date: Thu Nov 1, 2007 8:16 pm
Subject: RE: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

cmrescue

Rob,

It is a shame that some people think that the mine rescue crews are the ones at fault and need to be fixed. Even after the changes, I wonder what the out come would have been in the Sago Mine or the Crandall Canyon events would have been?

We too have people saying that they will quit if they have to give up any more of their spare time to do more training. I can see this resulting in fewer mine rescue volunteers willing to do what they are already doing.

I think that more empheses needs to be on educating the miners on what to do in the event of an emergency.

It is my opinion that it is what you do in the first fifteen to thirty minutes of the event that is going to seal your fate and it is not if the teams are training another 24 hours.

Danny

From: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MineRescue@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rob McGee
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:17 AM
To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

Ken Purdue of Alpha Natural Resources brings forth an interesting point where he states that the additional training time might result in team members quitting.

We must also consider the scenario of non-compliance which can result in nullifying an individuals "team member" status. These are the requirements that team members must meet:

•	Train 64 hours per year
•	Train under O₂ one hour monthly or 2 hours bimonthly
•	Train twice a year at each mine served
•	Train underground every 6 months

By strict interpretation, failing to meet any one of these items removes an individuals "member" status and would require the offender to re-complete the 20 hour initial training to continue.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has also considered this and perhaps share your ideas which may assist others in avoiding this.

Rob

#5817

From: "wally_nc_miner" <lidberg@...>
Date: Thu Nov 1, 2007 10:06 pm
Subject: Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

wally_nc_miner

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...> wrote:
>
> Rob,
>
> It is a shame that some people think that the mine rescue crews
are the ones
> at fault and need to be fixed. Even after the changes, I wonder
what the out
> come would have been in the Sago Mine or the Crandall Canyon
events would
> have been?
>
>
>
> We too have people saying that they will quit if they have to give
up any
> more of their spare time to do more training. I can see this
resulting in
> fewer mine rescue volunteers willing to do what they are already
doing.
>
>
>
> I think that more empheses needs to be on educating the miners on
what to do
> in the event of an emergency.
>
>
>
> It is my opinion that it is what you do in the first fifteen to
thirty
> minutes of the event that is going to seal your fate and it is not
if the
> teams are training another 24 hours.
>
>
>
> Danny
>
>
>
>   _____
>
> From: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:MineRescue@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Rob McGee
> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:17 AM
> To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right
>
>
>
> Ken Purdue of Alpha Natural Resources brings forth an interesting
point
> where he states that the additional training time might result in
team
> members quitting.
>
> We must also consider the scenario of non-compliance which can
result in
> nullifying an individuals "team member" status.  These are the
requirements
> that team members must meet:
>
>
> .
>
> Train 64 hours per year
>
>
> .
>
> Train under O2 one hour monthly or 2 hours bimonthly
>
>
> .
>
> Train twice a year at each mine served
>
>
> .
>
> Train underground every 6 months
>
> By strict interpretation, failing to meet any one of these items
removes an
> individuals "member" status and would require the offender to re-
complete
> the 20 hour initial training to continue.
>
> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has also considered
this and
> perhaps share your ideas which may assist others in avoiding this.
>
> Rob
>
>
> --- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "USMRA" <usmra@> wrote:
> >
> > For Sago's sake, let's get this right
> > Daily Mail - Charleston - Charleston,WV,USA
> > Opinion
> > November 1, 2007
> >
> >
> >
> > After terrible events such as the 2006 deaths of 12 men at the
Sago mine
> in Upshur County, politicians naturally want to prevent such
things from
> happening again.
> > The understandable impulse to act quickly may look good, but it
can
> produce as much exasperation as progress. That may be the case
with the
> MINER Act that Congress passed following the Sago explosion.
> >
> > Congress passed the act. The Mine Safety and Health
Administration took
> what Congress mandated and translated it into proposed rules, then
took to
> the road to get public comment on its proposals.
> >
> > At the Charleston hearing this week, rescue crews said the
proposed rules
> go too far. Industry spokesmen said they could result in fewer
rescue teams,
> not more. The UMW said the rules don't go far enough.
> >
> > As Ken Ward of the Gazette reported, current law requires that
rescuers be
> able to reach underground mines within two hours. The proposed
rules require
> response within one hour.
> >
> > James Murray of Mingo Logan Coal Co.'s Mountaineer Team said
response time
> hasn't been the issue and the one-hour requirement shouldn't be
applied.
> Teams have been able to respond when notified, he said. "The issue
is
> notification."
> >
> > Ken Perdue of Alpha Natural Resources said MSHA should exempt
existing
> teams from the one-hour travel time requirement. Otherwise, many
will have
> to move or open new stations, disrupting coverage that has been in
place for
> years.
> >
> > Both men said rescue crews should not be required to train at
each mine
> they cover. Perdue said that rule could result in fewer rather
than more
> rescue teams because it would break up existing teams and add so
much
> training time that members might quit.
> >
> > Doug Pauley of the Pocahontas Mine Rescue Association in
McDowell County
> said the agency should change its definition of what constitutes a
small
> mine.
> >
> > These are all useful comments from people who know a great deal
about the
> subject. MSHA officials were sympathetic, but the problematic
requirements
> are not a matter of regulations MSHA can change, but of law, which
Congress
> would have to change.
> >
> > Members of Congress, in being so specific about issues they don't
> understand, could perversely have imperiled emergency responses
rather then
> strengthened them.
> >
> > That would be a terrible thing to do to miners in the wake of
Sago.
> >
> > _______________________________
> > U. S. Mine Rescue Association
> > www.usmra.com
> >
>I believe this chat room contains many people, much more versed in
Coal Mining than I am, but I have some information, that may get
some of you to follow up on it.
     I am a Pendulum Dowser, have been involved in the Crandall
Canyon Coal Mine accident, since day three. I have been dowsing a
Floor Plan of the mine and have determined many facts, that I have
been trying to get to the right people, because they could get all
six of the miners out, by using this. I have this reinactment story
drawn out on my Floor Plan, but I will tell it to you verbally and
will send you the Floor Plan later, when I find out how. At the time
of the accident all six miners had just removed some support and
were all in an open cross cut, waiting for the roof to fall. They
anticipated a loud noise and a rush of air into the tunnel they were
hiding in. The roof came down with more force than they anticipated,
was not visable to them, but the rush of air pushed through their
tunnel, pushing all six of them through the shotgun barrel type
tunnel so fast, they did nothing but fly through the tunnel
uncontrollably and ended up in an area that had been caved
previously, the three Mexicans were dead, but the other three miners
picked them up and rushed on an angle toward the entrance, climbing
over rubble piled almost to the ceiling. I do not have a scale on my
floor plan, so I cannot give you distances, but will give you the
measurements off of the floor plan. They had traveled 1/4 inch to an
open cut, turned left going to the other side of the mine, because
it had more openings and possibly it had not been caved yet. They
traveled about 1 1/2 inches at a run, getting to the outside wall of
the mine, farthest from the entrance, they then turned right still
running, traveling about 1 1/4 inch to the front of the mine
workings. They were at a point farthest from the area they had been
working in and they rested there for a long time. After they were
well rested, they turned right traveling 1 inch toward the central
entanceway that resuers were trying to clear out, the entrance
collpse must have occured allready or possibly occured during their
travels and they ended up spending a good amount of time at that
point and finally left the three Mexican bodies there. It is
possible the bodies might have gotten buried in that collapse. They
turned to the left traveling 1 1/4 inch to a point at the very front
of the mine. The 3/4 inch path to the entrance on their right was
blocked and somehow they ended up in a room in a smaller section of
another mine, that contains equipment they are using. I think there
is something in there that they are using to aid their breathing.
They are well fed, can breathe easily and are trying to dig
themselves out. The miners are barely able to dig, because of some
injuries, but I do not know what they are. I do not know what edible
things could be found in a coal mine, but they are not eating
snakes, birds or rats at this time. I gave this information to the
trapped miner Kerry Alreds' brother Steve, Bob Murray, people in the
Utau Governors office and the Governor, but I do not know if anyone
followed up on this. I told them to drop a speaker down into a drill
hole and play Led Zephiland Rock Music through it, loud enough to be
heard throuout the entire mine and the miners would come to the
speaker, but they did not do that either. It appears that the
rescuers are geared to do everything in a standard way and do not
use any common sense. The old saying is they cannot see the forest
for the trees. Some may think this is an insult to the rescuers, but
the more intelligent ones, will look at this and see many
possibilities.              Wally Lidberg   lidberg@...

#5818

From: "Rob McGee" <usmra@...>
Date: Thu Nov 1, 2007 11:14 pm
Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

usmra

Danny,

I fully agree. I'm further of the opinion that the rescue team portion of the Act was written without regard and to the detriment (maybe extinction) of both small operators and groups that provide services to multiple operators.

Having worked for the PA Bureau of Mine Safety, I can safely say these new requirements will create a scheduling and recordkeeping nightmare - at least for them. that is.

Oh, I almost forgot another item that individuals must comply with - participation in two local mine rescue contests each year. Miss one and you're off the team.

Thanks for your comments.

Rob

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...> wrote:
>
> Rob,
>
> It is a shame that some people think that the mine rescue crews are the ones
> at fault and need to be fixed. Even after the changes, I wonder what the out
> come would have been in the Sago Mine or the Crandall Canyon events would
> have been?
>
>
>
> We too have people saying that they will quit if they have to give up any
> more of their spare time to do more training. I can see this resulting in
> fewer mine rescue volunteers willing to do what they are already doing.
>
>
>
> I think that more empheses needs to be on educating the miners on what to do
> in the event of an emergency.
>
>
>
> It is my opinion that it is what you do in the first fifteen to thirty
> minutes of the event that is going to seal your fate and it is not if the
> teams are training another 24 hours.
>
>
>
> Danny

#5819

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 12:17 am
Subject: MSHA shuts portion of another mine after seismic event

usmra

By Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune

MSHA shuts portion of another mine after seismic event

November 1, 2007

WASHINGTON - Federal authorities are investigating another incident at a Utah coal mine involving a "significant bounce," a seismic event similar to but smaller than one that trapped six miners at the Crandall Canyon mine in August.

No injuries were reported from Tuesday's seismic event at the Sufco Mine, about 140 miles south of Salt Lake City in Sevier County. But the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has ordered the longwall section of the mine shut down pending an investigation.

The University of Utah's Seismograph Stations reported a magnitude 2.8 seismic event Tuesday night near the Sufco mine, following a 1.4 magnitude tremor on Sunday a bit farther south. The deadly collapse of the Crandall Canyon mine's walls on Aug. 6 was measured at magnitude 3.9. An Aug. 16 bounce that killed three would-be rescuers and injured six others was a magnitude 1.6.

MSHA spokesman Matthew Faraci told The Salt Lake Tribune that the agency will not lift an order halting mine operations in that section "until MSHA is assured that this will not occur again."

Faraci said the Sufco mine is large and areas not affected by the bounce were allowed to remain in operation. He did not know whether any miners were working in the longwall section when the Tuesday night bounce occurred.

A bounce, or "bump" - mining terms that refer to overhead pressure that cause walls of coal in an underground mine to shed material, sometimes in violent outbursts - is what officials believe caused six miners to be trapped and eventually entombed in the Crandall Canyon mine.

The Sufco mine - named for an acronym of the mine's former operator, the Southern Utah Fuel Co. - excavates about 7.6 million tons of coal annually, according to state authorities. About 30 miles east of Salina, it began operating in 1941.

MSHA inspectors visited the mine in early October, although no report has been filed as to the review, the agency's Web site shows. A late September inspection of company records, but not the underground section of the mine, revealed no safety violations.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5820

From: Rescue1UK@...
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 4:31 am
Subject: Re: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

rescue1uk2000

Danny,

don't let the guys despair, it will work out in the long run. It may need MSHA looking further afield to different countries for ideas, such as us here in the UK do things differently, but a mine cannot work here unless it can guarantee 2 fully equipped teams at any mine within 60 minutes, and it works.

OK, we have way fewer coal mines now, but that could be seen as a dissadvantage, with fewer rescue workers to choose from.

There is enough money being made from coal in the US for the operators to consider a professional full time / and part time mine rescue scheme.

regards

Brian Robinson

mine rescue consultant

United Kingdom

#5821

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 10:11 am
Subject: China coal mine blast kills 7

usmra

China coal mine blast kills 7

Reuters India - Mumbai,India

November 1, 2007

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A coal mine explosion in southwestern China on Thursday killed seven miners and four others were still missing, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

The 11 miners were working in a shaft of the Yuejin Coal mine on the outskirts of Chongqing City when a gas explosion occurred, Xinhua said.

Four others who were carrying out safety inspections in the mine when the accident occurred managed to escape unscathed, it said.

China's coal industry is the deadliest in the world, with 2,163 miners killed in 1,320 accidents in the first seven months of 2007.

Chinese President Hu pledged during a five-yearly Congress last week to improve worker safety and reduce the number of major industrial accidents.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5822

From: Steve Hoskinson <hoskinsonstev@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 1:05 pm
Subject: RE: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

hoskinsonstev

Here is a differant approach, make them train on company time! Most of our training here in Kansas is done during regular shift hours. If it was done during their off time there woudn't be any teams here because during the busy season most are working 6-7 days already!

To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
From: lidberg@...
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 22:06:25 +0000
Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...> wrote:
>
> Rob,
>
> It is a shame that some people think that the mine rescue crews
are the ones
> at fault and need to be fixed. Even after the changes, I wonder
what the out
> come would have been in the Sago Mine or the Crandall Canyon
events would
> have been?
>
>
>
> We too have people saying that they will quit if they have to give
up any
> more of their spare time to do more training. I can see this
resulting in
> fewer mine rescue volunteers willing to do what they are already
doing.
>
>
>
> I think that more empheses needs to be on educating the miners on
what to do
> in the event of an emergency.
>
>
>
> It is my opinion that it is what you do in the first fifteen to
thirty
> minutes of the event that is going to seal your fate and it is not
if the
> teams are training another 24 hours.
>
>
>
> Danny
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:MineRescue@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Rob McGee
> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:17 AM
> To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right
>
>
>
> Ken Purdue of Alpha Natural Resources brings forth an interesting
point
> where he states that the additional training time might result in
team
> members quitting.
>
> We must also consider the scenario of non-compliance which can
result in
> nullifying an individuals "team member" status. These are the
requirements
> that team members must meet:
>
>
> .
>
> Train 64 hours per year
>
>
> .
>
> Train under O2 one hour monthly or 2 hours bimonthly
>
>
> .
>
> Train twice a year at each mine served
>
>
> .
>
> Train underground every 6 months
>
> By strict interpretation, failing to meet any one of these items
removes an
> individuals "member" status and would require the offender to re-
complete
> the 20 hour initial training to continue.
>
> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has also considered
this and
> perhaps share your ideas which may assist others in avoiding this.
>
> Rob
>
>
> --- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "USMRA" <usmra@> wrote:
> >
> > For Sago's sake, let's get this right
> > Daily Mail - Charleston - Charleston,WV,USA
> > Opinion
> > November 1, 2007
> >
> >
> >
> > After terrible events such as the 2006 deaths of 12 men at the
Sago mine
> in Upshur County, politicians naturally want to prevent such
things from
> happening again.
> > The understandable impulse to act quickly may look good, but it
can
> produce as much exasperation as progress. That may be the case
with the
> MINER Act that Congress passed following the Sago explosion.
> >
> > Congress passed the act. The Mine Safety and Health
Administration took
> what Congress mandated and translated it into proposed rules, then
took to
> the road to get public comment on its proposals.
> >
> > At the Charleston hearing this week, rescue crews said the
proposed rules
> go too far. Industry spokesmen said they could result in fewer
rescue teams,
> not more. The UMW said the rules don't go far enough.
> >
> > As Ken Ward of the Gazette reported, current law requires that
rescuers be
> able to reach underground mines within two hours. The proposed
rules require
> response within one hour.
> >
> > James Murray of Mingo Logan Coal Co.'s Mountaineer Team said
response time
> hasn't been the issue and the one-hour requirement shouldn't be
applied.
> Teams have been able to respond when notified, he said. "The issue
is
> notification."
> >
> > Ken Perdue of Alpha Natural Resources said MSHA should exempt
existing
> teams from the one-hour travel time requirement. Otherwise, many
will have
> to move or open new stations, disrupting coverage that has been in
place for
> years.
> >
> > Both men said rescue crews should not be required to train at
each mine
> they cover. Perdue said that rule could result in fewer rather
than more
> rescue teams because it would break up existing teams and add so
much
> training time that members might quit.
> >
> > Doug Pauley of the Pocahontas Mine Rescue Association in
McDowell County
> said the agency should change its definition of what constitutes a
small
> mine.
> >
> > These are all useful comments from people who know a great deal
about the
> subject. MSHA officials were sympathetic, but the problematic
requirements
> are not a matter of regulations MSHA can change, but of law, which
Congress
> would have to change.
> >
> > Members of Congress, in being so specific about issues they don't
> understand, could perversely have imperiled emergency responses
rather then
> strengthened them.
> >
> > That would be a terrible thing to do to miners in the wake of
Sago.
> >
> > _______________________________
> > U. S. Mine Rescue Association
> > www.usmra.com
> >
>I believe this chat room contains many people, much more versed in
Coal Mining than I am, but I have some information, that may get
some of you to follow up on it.
I am a Pendulum Dowser, have been involved in the Crandall
Canyon Coal Mine accident, since day three. I have been dowsing a
Floor Plan of the mine and have determined many facts, that I have
been trying to get to the right people, because they could get all
six of the miners out, by using this. I have this reinactment story
drawn out on my Floor Plan, but I will tell it to you verbally and
will send you the Floor Plan later, when I find out how. At the time
of the accident all six miners had just removed some support and
were all in an open cross cut, waiting for the roof to fall. They
anticipated a loud noise and a rush of air into the tunnel they were
hiding in. The roof came down with more force than they anticipated,
was not visable to them, but the rush of air pushed through their
tunnel, pushing all six of them through the shotgun barrel type
tunnel so fast, they did nothing but fly through the tunnel
uncontrollably and ended up in an area that had been caved
previously, the three Mexicans were dead, but the other three miners
picked them up and rushed on an angle toward the entrance, climbing
over rubble piled almost to the ceiling. I do not have a scale on my
floor plan, so I cannot give you distances, but will give you the
measurements off of the floor plan. They had traveled 1/4 inch to an
open cut, turned left going to the other side of the mine, because
it had more openings and possibly it had not been caved yet. They
traveled about 1 1/2 inches at a run, getting to the outside wall of
the mine, farthest from the entrance, they then turned right still
running, traveling about 1 1/4 inch to the front of the mine
workings. They were at a point farthest from the area they had been
working in and they rested there for a long time. After they were
well rested, they turned right traveling 1 inch toward the central
entanceway that resuers were trying to clear out, the entrance
collpse must have occured allready or possibly occured during their
travels and they ended up spending a good amount of time at that
point and finally left the three Mexican bodies there. It is
possible the bodies might have gotten buried in that collapse. They
turned to the left traveling 1 1/4 inch to a point at the very front
of the mine. The 3/4 inch path to the entrance on their right was
blocked and somehow they ended up in a room in a smaller section of
another mine, that contains equipment they are using. I think there
is something in there that they are using to aid their breathing.
They are well fed, can breathe easily and are trying to dig
themselves out. The miners are barely able to dig, because of some
injuries, but I do not know what they are. I do not know what edible
things could be found in a coal mine, but they are not eating
snakes, birds or rats at this time. I gave this information to the
trapped miner Kerry Alreds' brother Steve, Bob Murray, people in the
Utau Governors office and the Governor, but I do not know if anyone
followed up on this. I told them to drop a speaker down into a drill
hole and play Led Zephiland Rock Music through it, loud enough to be
heard throuout the entire mine and the miners would come to the
speaker, but they did not do that either. It appears that the
rescuers are geared to do everything in a standard way and do not
use any common sense. The old saying is they cannot see the forest
for the trees. Some may think this is an insult to the rescuers, but
the more intelligent ones, will look at this and see many
possibilities. Wally Lidberg lidberg@nctv.com

Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks Treats for You! Get 'em!

#5823

From: Rescue1UK@...
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 1:13 pm
Subject: Re: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

rescue1uk2000

Jeez, I thought that was taken for granted, you wouldn't get anyone here training out of work time! (Except for competition)

Brian

#5824

From: "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 5:14 pm
Subject: RE: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

cmrescue

Rob,

All of our training is done on company time. But it does take up some of the team’s spare time when they are training for competitions. If some people don’t believe me, just ask the wives and girl friends of these guys. Most of them would do well on the written test as well. Let’s not forget to thank them as well for their support!

Danny

From: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MineRescue@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rob McGee
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 4:15 PM
To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

Danny,

Having worked for the PA Bureau of Mine Safety, I can safely say these new requirements will create a scheduling and recordkeeping nightmare - at least for them. that is.

Oh, I almost forgot another item that individuals must comply with - participation in two local mine rescue contests each year. Miss one and you're off the team.

Thanks for your comments.

Rob

#5825

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 6:57 pm
Subject: Worker Loses Arm in Underground Mine Accident

usmra

Worker Loses Arm in Underground Mine Accident

Fox 8 News WJW - Cleveland,OH,USA

November 2, 2007

UHRICHSVILLE, Ohio -- A mine worker's arm was severed from his body Friday morning in an underground accident, Fox 8 News reports.

The mine in question, which is located in the city of Uhrichsville in Tuscarawas County, is owned by the Oxford Mining Co. It is on Pleasant Valley Road just south of State Route 250.

LifeFlight went to the scene just before 8 a.m. but was forced to wait for the patient to be extricated. When that finally happened, he was transported to Akron City Hospital.

The man was conscious when he was brought above ground.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5826

From: "Rob McGee" <usmra@...>
Date: Fri Nov 2, 2007 7:19 pm
Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right

usmra

http://www.usmra.com/popquiz.htm

Danny,

I think it's a given that contest preparation requires more of team members. Studying rules, statements of fact, benching apparatus, etc. can't always be done properly during team training sessions.

That said, poll the last 10 National champions and ask if they feel cheated.

While this at-home effort is dependent on an individual's work ethic, I don't any change coming here. If you want to do better, you can sometimes overlook what some may call hardship.

One thing for sure though, by further etching the requirements in stone as they have, the "mine rescue team member" has been moved closer to the driver's seat.

Hey, I'm doing my part. Team members can use the Pop Quiz pages for learning contest statements of fact.

Rob

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "cmrescue" <cmrescue@...> wrote:
>
> Rob,
>
> All of our training is done on company time. But it does take up some of the
> team's spare time when they are training for competitions. If some people
> don't believe me, just ask the wives and girl friends of these guys. Most of
> them would do well on the written test as well. Let's not forget to thank
> them as well for their support!
>
>
>
> Danny
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MineRescue@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of Rob McGee
> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 4:15 PM
> To: MineRescue@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [USMRA] Re: For Sago's sake, let's get this right
>
>
>
> Danny,
>
> I fully agree. I'm further of the opinion that the rescue team portion of
> the Act was written without regard and to the detriment (maybe extinction)
> of both small operators and groups that provide services to multiple
> operators.
>
> Having worked for the PA Bureau of Mine Safety, I can safely say these new
> requirements will create a scheduling and recordkeeping nightmare - at least
> for them. that is.
>
> Oh, I almost forgot another item that individuals must comply with -
> participation in two local mine rescue contests each year. Miss one and
> you're off the team.
>
> Thanks for your comments.
>
> Rob
>
>
> --- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "cmrescue" cmrescue@ wrote:
> >
> > Rob,
> >
> > It is a shame that some people think that the mine rescue crews are the
> ones
> > at fault and need to be fixed. Even after the changes, I wonder what the
> out
> > come would have been in the Sago Mine or the Crandall Canyon events would
> > have been?
> >
> >
> >
> > We too have people saying that they will quit if they have to give up any
> > more of their spare time to do more training. I can see this resulting in
> > fewer mine rescue volunteers willing to do what they are already doing.
> >
> >
> >
> > I think that more empheses needs to be on educating the miners on what to
> do
> > in the event of an emergency.
> >
> >
> >
> > It is my opinion that it is what you do in the first fifteen to thirty
> > minutes of the event that is going to seal your fate and it is not if the
> > teams are training another 24 hours.
> >
> >
> >
> > Danny
>

#5827

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Sat Nov 3, 2007 2:09 am
Subject: PBS show highlights Gazette reporter's Sago coverage

usmra

Click here to watch the episode online.

PBS show highlights Gazette reporter's Sago coverage

'EXPOS�' episode available online, on TV

Charleston Gazette - WV, USA

By Dave Gustafson

November 2, 2007

An episode of a PBS show that focuses on The Charleston Gazette's coverage of the 2006 Sago Mine disaster and safety standards in the coal-mining industry can be watched online or on TV in the coming weeks.

"EXPOS�: America's Investigative Reports" showcases "some of the most important investigative journalism in America," according to its Web site.

The half-hour "Sustained Outrage" season finale premiered on WVPBS Thursday night.

The episode focuses on Gazette reporter Ken Ward Jr.'s in-depth look at coal mining safety after the Sago disaster.

"When mine disasters happen, the national news media comes running," the show's blog points out. "But through careful data analysis, reporter Ken Ward Jr. of the Charleston Gazette found most miners killed on the job don't die in disasters that get national attention -- rather most who are killed die alone."

The title of the show's episode comes from a speech by the Gazette's legendary late Publisher W.E. Chilton III. In 1983, Chilton said that "the hallmark of crusading journalism is sustained outrage. I'm not talking about spurts of indignation or vituperative anger. I'm talking about sustained outrage over basic injustices and fundamental idiocies. I think we've allowed our minds and our spirits to become three-piece suited. We're too conscious of our position in the community. We're timid about expressing our opinion, especially if it is sustained strong opinion."

The "Sustained Outrage" episode repeats on W.Va. Public Broadcasting at 3 a.m. Saturday, 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 and 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 14.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5828

From: "Rob McGee" <usmra@...>
Date: Sat Nov 3, 2007 3:01 am
Subject: Re: PBS show highlights Gazette reporter's Sago coverage

usmra

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/expose/episode220/watch.html

This show is very revealing about the coal industry's shortcomings as well as those of the regulatory agencies - state and federal.

It's a must see for everyone involved in mining.

I'd also like to applaud the efforts of Ken Ward and the contributing staff of the Charleston Gazette for such an indepth probe of mine accidents. The light on the mining industry needs to remain on.

View the PBS show, Sustained Outrage, online here:

Rob

--- In MineRescue@yahoogroups.com, "USMRA" <usmra@...> wrote:
>
> PBS show highlights Gazette reporter's Sago coverage
>
> 'EXPOS�' episode available online, on TV
> Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
> By Dave Gustafson
> November 2, 2007
>
> An episode of a PBS show that focuses on The Charleston Gazette's coverage of the 2006 Sago Mine disaster and safety standards in the coal-mining industry can be watched online or on TV in the coming weeks.
>
> "EXPOS�: America's Investigative Reports" showcases "some of the most important investigative journalism in America," according to its Web site.
>
> The half-hour "Sustained Outrage" season finale premiered on WVPBS Thursday night.
>
> The episode focuses on Gazette reporter Ken Ward Jr.'s in-depth look at coal mining safety after the Sago disaster.
>
> "When mine disasters happen, the national news media comes running," the show's blog points out. "But through careful data analysis, reporter Ken Ward Jr. of the Charleston Gazette found most miners killed on the job don't die in disasters that get national attention -- rather most who are killed die alone."
>
> The title of the show's episode comes from a speech by the Gazette's legendary late Publisher W.E. Chilton III. In 1983, Chilton said that "the hallmark of crusading journalism is sustained outrage. I'm not talking about spurts of indignation or vituperative anger. I'm talking about sustained outrage over basic injustices and fundamental idiocies. I think we've allowed our minds and our spirits to become three-piece suited. We're too conscious of our position in the community. We're timid about expressing our opinion, especially if it is sustained strong opinion."
>
> Click here to watch the episode online.
>
> The "Sustained Outrage" episode repeats on W.Va. Public Broadcasting at 3 a.m. Saturday, 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 and 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 14.
>
>
>
> _______________________________
> U. S. Mine Rescue Association
> www.usmra.com
>

#5829

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Sat Nov 3, 2007 3:13 pm
Subject: Four killed, five trapped in Shanxi colliery accident

usmra

Four killed, five trapped in Shanxi colliery accident

China Internet Information Center - China

November 3, 2007

Four miners have been killed and five others still trapped in a coal mine roof fall accident in north China's Shanxi Province, officials with the provincial work safety bureau said on Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 5:20 AM Friday at a mine in Jingle County of Xinzhou City when 16 people were working underground. Seven managed to escape safely.

Rescue work is under way. Officials from the provincial work safety bureau and the Xinzhou municipal government have arrived at the mine.

The mine is a licensed one and has an annual capacity of 150,000 tons.

Authorities are investigating into the cause of the accident.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5831

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Sun Nov 4, 2007 1:16 pm
Subject: How much is a miner's life worth?

usmra

How much is a miner's life worth?

Death benefits for Crandall Canyon victims are pittance

By Lee Davidson
Deseret Morning News

November 4, 2007

The Crandall Canyon Mine disaster killed six miners plus three men trying to rescue them. So how much in death benefits do such disasters cost mine owners � or their insurance companies?

Not much � as little as $8,000 for miners who had no dependents and up to $176,000 or so (paid over the first six years) for those who did have dependents.

And that's in an era when even spilled McDonald's coffee or crude remarks by an NBA basketball coach have brought millions of dollars in jury awards.

Death benefits are limited by the workers compensation insurance program established by state legislatures, but payments from the program begin quickly and without the need of lawsuits to prove fault.

As long as mine owners (or any business owners) keep up with insurance premiums in that mandatory program, they by law cannot be sued by victims' families � unless the employer intentionally caused the harm.

"Some of those miners were making $80,000 a year, so that compensation really isn't much for their families," says attorney Colin P. King, who represents most of the Crandall Canyon Mine victim families. "It doesn't come close to covering their true losses."

Some also say the system gives little real financial incentive for mine operators to improve safety, since that might cost more than would the increases in premiums for workmans compensation insurance from accidents.

"As dangerous as the industry is ..., there ought to be a mechanism for more significant compensation to injured miners and the families of miners who have been killed to get attention" for improved safety, says Ted Schmidt, a Tucson, Ariz., lawyer who has been involved in lawsuits against mining equipment manufacturers, since mine operators themselves are usually off-limits.

'No fault'

Workers compensation systems began about a century ago.

"It was an Industrial Revolution-era idea. Back then, workers were hurt all the time and brought civil suits. It was costly for everyone, and workers often were not compensated anyway," said Dennis Lloyd, senior vice president of the quasi-public Workers Compensation Fund of Utah insurance company.

"The compromise was to have this insurance (to pay medical bills and death benefits). It was a no-fault system. It paid if an accident was the fault of the worker or the employer. But the employer could not be sued for the accident," he said.

The Utah Labor Commission sets what benefits must be paid. Employers with even one part-time employee generally must participate by law, buying workers compensation insurance through a private company, the Workers Compensation Fund or by setting up funds to self-insure.

The Crandall Canyon Mine is insured through a private company, Rockwell Casualty of Pennsylvania, which declined to comment for this story.

Benefit schedules from the Labor Commission mandate a burial benefit of up to $8,000 � which may be all that a miner without dependents may receive.

Crandall Canyon victim Carlos Payan, who was single, may fall into that category or not even receive that because his body was not recovered for burial.

But his family might still receive more benefits. "If a miner's family was dependent on his income for living, it can apply for benefits," said Joyce Sewell, director of the Labor Commission's Industrial Accidents Division.

Of Payan, she said, "He apparently was sending money to his parents in Mexico and was helping pay for the school of a sister. We did tell them they would need to file an application, and a (commission administrative law) judge would make a decision."

Labor Commission formulas generally require giving those killed in industrial accidents two-thirds of their average weekly wage in weekly payments for six years. Also, the family receives an extra $5 a week for a dependent spouse and $5 each for up to four dependent children under age 18, or up to an additional $25 weekly.

The average wage for a coal miner in Utah is $714 a week, or $37,130 a year, according to the Department of Workforce Services. So a two-thirds payment of that as a death benefit would be $476 a week.

The maximum weekly payment allowed by Utah schedules, before the up to $25 additional weekly for dependents, is $565. Sewell said most of the miners killed at Crandall Canyon "were just about at the maximum of what they could get" for death benefits under Utah law.

Utah schedules limit the maximum that victim families could receive for the first six years after the death to $176,280.

Sewell said families can apply for benefits beyond those six years. Dependent children are eligible for benefits until they reach age 18. A spouse remains eligible indefinitely if still dependent on the income and if the spouse remains unmarried. After six years, benefits can be reduced by half if the family also receives Social Security death benefits.

"One benefit is the system is designed to start benefits immediately," Sewell said. "They don't have to sue and wait a long time or try to prove fault."

The benefit for mine owners � or any business owners � is they cannot be sued unless they intentionally caused the death or injury. "They cannot even be sued for gross negligence," Sewell said. "It is only if they essentially intentionally killed or harmed workers. It's almost an impossible standard to prove."

Others accountable?

Some victims' families sometimes try to sue a third-party contractor or manufacturer of equipment involved in an accident, because only the direct employer of the killed worker is exempt from lawsuits under the workers compensation system.

King said families of Crandall Canyon victims are looking at doing that. "We are very intensely preparing to file lawsuits," he said. While the owner of the mine is off-limits because of workers compensation, he said, they are looking at others who had sufficient input to operations and safety to hold them accountable for the accident.

King added, "The workers compensation system is not geared to recover all losses.... The more serious an injury � leading on up to death � the more that is not recovered. The gulf is getting wider."

If families win lawsuits against others for industrial accidents, they must repay the insurance company for workers compensation benefits it paid. "There is no double-dipping," King said.

Does the system give too little financial incentive for mine owners to improve safety?

Lloyd at the Workers Compensation Fund said that in general, more dangerous industries do pay higher workers comp premiums, and individual companies with a high number of claims also can have their premiums increased because of that, too.

For example, he said the National Council on Compensation Insurance has recommended a workers comp insurance premium for coal mining of $25.82 for every $100 in payroll.

That is relatively expensive. The suggested rates for a few other industries, Lloyd said, is 21 cents per $100 in payroll for clerical and office workers; $1.63 per $100 in payroll for retail store employees; $2.87 for restaurant workers; $3.52 for the newspaper industry; $9.82 for carpenters; and $17.28 for oil well drilling.

Attorney Edward Havas, a partner of King helping to represent Crandall Canyon families, said, "By themselves, the premiums and fines from MSHA (the Mine Safety and Health Administration) are not high enough to be a financial incentive to increase safety."

But he said other costs make safety wise, "including loss of production and loss of morale." He noted the Crandall Canyon disaster led owner Bob Murray to spend millions of dollars for rescue efforts, and cost millions more as he closed two mines afterward for what he said were attempts to improve safety.

Emily Spieler, dean of the Northeastern University Law School in Boston, agrees there is not much economic pressure for miner safety from the workers compensation system by itself.

"I ran the workers compensation system in West Virginia a few years ago. When I left, I was tempted to write (for a local newspaper) a story titled, 'How much does it cost to kill a West Virginia coal miner?' The answer is: not very much," she said.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5832

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Sun Nov 4, 2007 7:28 pm
Subject: Death toll rises to 9 from coal mine collapse

usmra

Death toll rises to 9 from coal mine collapse

China Daily - China
November 4, 2007

TAIYUAN -- The death toll from a coal mine collapse in north China's Shanxi Province rose to nine, after rescuers recovered another five bodies underground Sunday.

The accident occurred at about 5:20 am Friday at a coal mine in Jingle County of Xinzhou City when 16 people were working underground, and seven miners managed to escape, according to the Shanxi Provincial Administration of Work Safety.

Rescuers found four bodies underground Friday.

The coal mine, owned by the Shanxi Jinle Coal Mine Industrial Co. Ltd., is a licensed one with an annual output capacity of 150,000 tons.

The mine had been shut down for some time and the 16 people were carrying out maintenance work when the collapse took place, according to the company managers.

Investigations into the cause of the accident have been underway.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5833

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Mon Nov 5, 2007 12:31 pm
Subject: Mines deepen as gold climbs

usmra

Mines deepen as gold climbs

Workers are going to dangerous depths in South Africa as prices top $800 an ounce.

Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
By Michelle Faul, The Associated Press
November 5, 2007

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -- South Africa's gold companies, already mining at the world's deepest depths, are looking to plumb even deeper veins in a new gold rush spurred by record prices.

The deeper miners go, the richer the ore being uncovered. The price in dangers, though, includes rockfalls, poisonous gas explosions, flooding and earthquakes.

That has stirred up concerns about the safety of miners, who experts say have the worst lot among South Africa's industrial workers.

Some foreign companies have been deterred by the risks here. But Gold Fields Ltd., the country's second-biggest producer after AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., is ready to set a record, digging deeper than 2.5 miles at its Driefontein mine.

A worker was killed there in September by a tremor at just below two miles. By comparison, the deepest mine elsewhere in the world is in Ontario, Canada, at 1.5 miles.

Harmony Gold Mining Co., the world's fifth-largest producer, wants to develop a mine below an existing one at Elandsrand, at a depth of about two miles, which it says would extend the life of the mine by 18 years.

Some 3,200 miners working to deepen the mine shaft there in September were trapped more than a mile underground. They were rescued after some spent nearly three days underground.

At a neighboring mine, two people were killed in an accident a week earlier. And 25 workers mining illegally died in a fire at an unused part of a Harmony mine in early October.

Gold prices topping $800 an ounce on a weak dollar and concerns on inflation have spurred miners to work ever deeper in marginal mines. In 2005, nine mines employing 69,000 workers were considered marginal or loss-making. Today, mining deeper, they're profitable.

Although many miners say it's possible to go deeper and to do so safely, the country's Chamber of Mines has set up a committee to consider the dangers.

Despite the bonanza, South Africa's gold production continues to fall as resources have been depleted. The United States is threatening to win its top position in the world, with Australia and China lagging far behind.

According to the Chamber of Mines, South Africa's production has fallen from a high of 1,000 tons in 1970 to 275 tons last year. Exports fell from 50% of the country's total in the 1980s to 8.2% of exports in 2006.

Last year, South Africa exported 36 billion rand ($5.17 billion) of gold and sold 720 million rand ($103.5 billion) locally, said Alex Conradie, an economist at the Department of Minerals and Energy.

Gold mining remains a vital part of the South African economy. It's a major source of tax revenue and one of the biggest private-sector employers in a country with 25% unemployment. But the number of miners has dropped drastically from 342,439 in 1996 -- when 100,000 miners were laid off as gold prices slumped -- to 137,611 in 2005, even as earnings have increased.

Of 119 people reported killed in South African mines last year, 113 died in gold mines. By comparison, the United States suffered five fatalities in all its metal mines in 2004, according to the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The poorly paid miners are the worst off in the industrial sector, said May Hermanus, director of the Center for Sustainability in Mining at the University of the Witwatersrand and a former government chief inspector of mines.

In August, a mine workers' strike won wage increases of 7.5% to 10%. The average miner makes $365 to $511 a month.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5834

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Mon Nov 5, 2007 12:36 pm
Subject: McConnell criticizes Hawpe's MSHA column

usmra

McConnell criticizes Hawpe's MSHA column

Letter to the Editor

Louisville Courier-Journal - Louisville,KY,USA

November 5, 2007

I always chuckle at how The Courier-Journal's none-too-subtle bias shines through in so many of its columns. Reading the torrent of negative articles directed toward me lately reminds me that my election cycle must be in full swing.

But my friend David Hawpe's column on Oct. 31 -- just the latest in a string of negative columns and editorials directed at me, published at a rate of more than one every other day for the last two weeks -- was so long on invective and short on the facts, I've stopped laughing long enough to set the record straight. David's portrayal of me as a mustache-twirling villain is far from reality, and far from how he once characterized me in better times, when he dubbed me "our most powerful man in Washington since Alben Barkley."

Mine safety has been a critical issue for me throughout my Senate career. In 2006, I cosponsored and steered to passage the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act, the first comprehensive reform of mine-safety law in 28 years.

Under the MINER Act, coal-mine owners and operators are required to update their emergency response plans, install up-to-date communications equipment and provide additional breathable air for miners. The act also empowered the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to impose much larger penalties on mine owners than ever before for safety and health violations or late accident notifications.

Perhaps your paper would do a better job of reporting the truth by using unbiased sources. Peg Seminario, the union spokesman David quotes glowingly, works for AFL-CIO president John Sweeney. Sweeney has said the millions of dollars his union funneled into Democratic coffers during the 2006 election was "money well spent." Over the last 17 years, the union's PAC has donated nearly $17 million to candidates, with 96 percent of that going to Democrats.

Democrats repay the favor by stacking the deck in congressional committee hearings. At the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions subcommittee hearing referenced in David's column, Democrats took testimony from two union leaders but no one from MSHA or its parent organization, the Department of Labor. Considering the hearing was about workplace safety, I'd call that a whopping oversight.

Finally, I take offense at The Courier-Journal's underhanded implication that Labor Secretary Elaine Chao needs me to tell her how to do her job. Under my wife's tenure as Labor secretary, workplace injuries and illnesses are at the lowest level ever recorded since the department began collecting such statistics in 1972.

I think Elaine's the best Labor secretary this country's ever had -- and with a record like that, I'd say that even if she weren't my wife. But I'll admit a little favoritism may be creeping in there. Tell you what -- I'll own up to being my wife's biggest fan as soon as this paper owns up to its bad habit of reporting its own bias as news.

MITCH McCONNELL
United States Senator
Washington 20005

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5835

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 6:05 pm
Subject: Manchin says China can learn from state's mining industry

usmra

Manchin says China can learn from state's mining industry

Daily Mail - Charleston - Charleston,WV,USA

November 5, 2007

Gov. Joe Manchin said China offers a lot of opportunities for West Virginia businesses to grow and increase exports.

"We're going to see where it goes. We're going to take it to the next level," Manchin said today in a conference call with reporters from Beijing, China.

The governor spoke shortly after he and the West Virginia Development Office hosted a reception for Chinese government and coal industry executives. "It was packed," Manchin said. "It gave us an entree to a lot of opportunities for businesses in West Virginia to grow and to hopefully create export opportunities."

Manchin said China's double-digit growth is amazing to behold. "I've never seen more construction in my life," he said. "I never could have imagined what I'm seeing. It's unbelievable, as this country grows, the energy needed to fuel the growth."

"I see opportunities from technical manufacturing -- what's going to be needed for them to keep this economy moving," Manchin said. He said West Virginia companies have an opportunity to increase exports of mining machinery, such as roof bolt equipment and continuous miners, and thus increase West Virginia employment and job security for West Virginia workers. "West Virginia companies are trying to get more market share," he said. "I can see us trying to facilitate that in a responsible manner."

"They mine 2.3 billion tons of coal annually," he said of the Chinese. "The Shenhua Coal Group is the largest in the world -- they just surpassed Peabody. With that market growing, it's going to be necessary for them to grow. There are going to be a lot of opportunities for ancillary jobs for us."

Manchin said he wants to make a return trip to visit Shenhua Coal Group's 25,000-barrel-a-day coal liquefaction plant in Inner Mongolia. "They're hoping to open that plant in the next few months," he said. "I was speaking with their vice chairman about carbon sequestering. If they're able to pull the carbon stream off, they're willing to share this. We want to work hard to help develop that.

The governor said he had several meetings today about coal mine safety. "When we talk about safety standards, they've been receptive," Manchin said. "It's only talk so far. We'll try to build a relationship on that.

"They've got to produce so much coal to keep the lights on," he said. "Can they increase production from their good mines and keep safety as the foremost thing? They've got some real challenges."

"The air quality is not good at all," Manchin said. "It's a horrible situation. With that said, I'm wondering how in the world they're going to put the 2008 Olympics on. The U.S. Consulate said that if needed, they'll shut down factories and people won't drive cars. They know they've got serious challenges, serious problems. We'd love to work with them and find ways to do ours better, too."

The governor said he had about an hour between meetings today so he took a stroll through a Beijing neighborhood. "There were people everywhere and everyone's working," he said. "We went to the Olympic Village. Fifty thousand people are working there. You cannot imagine the people power they can put on any project they want. And they all have certain skills. That was the most amazing thing to me."

Manchin is scheduled to attend the opening of the China Coal & Mining Exhibition in Bejing on Tuesday before departing for West Virginia.

"It's been a great trip," he said. "We've made a lot of contacts. I think we've created a lot of opportunity for West Virginia businesses that already do business here. We've also had some new businesses on this trip and I think they have opportunities, too."

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5836

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 6:11 pm
Subject: Collapse closes mine

usmra

Collapse closes mine
Roof fall creates 'hot spot' in Elkhart mine
Lincoln Courier - Lincoln,IL,USA
BY TIM LANDIS
GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Published Tuesday, November 06, 2007

ELKHART - The Viper Mine near Elkhart could remain closed another couple of days after a weekend roof collapse forced a shutdown of the mine.

No one was injured in the incident, and the closure was described as a precautionary measure.

State and federal mine safety officials were at the site Monday while crews worked to remove a "hot spot" that resulted from Saturday's roof collapse. Sensing equipment also detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

The mine, between Elkhart and Williamsville, has 255 employees.

"It was a roof fall that puts pressure on existing coal underneath it and creates spontaneous combustion," said Joe Angleton, director of the Illinois Department of Mines and Minerals, which oversees mine safety in the state.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration also was alerted.

Angleton said a section of roof about 100 feet long and 18 feet wide collapsed, adding that hot spots are not uncommon in such cases.

"It's not unusual to have spontaneous combustion. This never got to the state of an actual fire, but it was smoldering," said Angleton, who credited sensing equipment and alert employers with averting a more serious situation.

Angleton said mining companies and regulators have become more sensitive to the issue as the result of the August collapse at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah that left six miners trapped and presumed dead and the 2006 Sago mine disaster in West Virginia that killed all but one of 13 trapped miners.

Three rescuers were killed in a second collapse at the Utah mine.

"In the old days, you would have shut down just where the unit was affected. In the age we work in today, with what's taken place in the last couple of years, everybody errs on the side of extreme caution," said Angleton.

A statement released by the mine's owners, International Goal Group Inc. of West Virginia, said the company expects to be back in operation within two days. Regular maintenance also continues while the hot spot is removed.

The statement said the collapse was in an area that already had been mined and that the increase in carbon monoxide levels was slight.

"As a precaution, in conjunction with discussions between the state and federal mine safety authorities, production was temporarily halted at the mine while workers restored equipment access to the area and began removing heated material," the statement said.

Ira Gramm, the company's vice president for investor and public relations, declined to comment on a report that a piece of mining equipment was buried by the collapse.

Angleton said coal from the roof collapse has to be taken out of the mine and the area treated to assure no hot spots remain. State and federal inspectors also must clear the mine for reopening.

"Hopefully, unless they experience mechanical problems, they can have it mined out and reopen about mid-week," he said.

The Viper Mine supplies coal to City Water, Light and Power Co. of Springfield.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5837

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 6:14 pm
Subject: China mine accidents kill 3,069 in Jan-Oct

usmra

China mine accidents kill 3,069 in Jan-Oct

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Accidents at Chinese coal mines killed 3,069 people in the first 10 months of this year, a drop of 19 percent over the same period in 2006, state media said, but still ranking China as the world's deadliest coal industry.

The number of deaths from accidents declined some 14 percent to 79,000 in the period, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted the State Administration of Work Safety as saying.

China, the largest producer and consumer of coal, has been battling to improve safety standards in its mines. But accidents are common as enforcement is lax and as mine owners push production beyond safety limits to meet the robust demand for the fuel.

A total of 4,746 Chinese coal miners were killed in thousands of blasts, floods and other accidents last year, down 20 percent from 2005, according to official estimates.

China is also trying to shut by mid-2008 half of its 23,000 small coal mines, where most of the deaths occur.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5838

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 6:18 pm
Subject: Two trapped workers killed in inter-reservoir tunnel blast

usmra

Two trapped workers killed in inter-reservoir tunnel blast

China Post - Taipei,Taiwan
November 6, 2007

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Work was suspended yesterday on the inter-reservoir tunnel near Chiatung, where a hydrogen sulfide explosion occurred Sunday, killing two workers.

Yang Feng-yung, director of the Southern Taiwan Water Conservancy Bureau, identified the two victims, who had been reported missing, as Liu Ming-we, 42, of Meinung, and Chiu Shih-tsung, 37, of Tunghsiao.

Liu and Chiu were trapped in the tunnel while working to link the Nanhua reservoir in the county of Chiayi with the Tsengwen dam further south.

Tsengwen is one of Taiwan's largest reservoirs, located in the county of Kaohsiung.

Search and rescue workers could not reach the scene in time to locate and dig the trapped men out from the debris. The explosion occurred at 2 p.m., sending an empty concrete-mixer rolling 50 meters away.

"We closed the construction site at once," Yang said.

A thorough investigation will follow, Yang promised. "And we'll have a review of the work," he added.

The National Water Conservancy Administration will have to approve the findings in the review. "We'll resume work on the tunnel on approval," Yang said.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5839

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 6:21 pm
Subject: Patriot Coal Mine Rescue Team Honored by Governor

usmra

Patriot Coal Mine Rescue Team Honored by Governor

November 5, 2007

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- West Virginia Governor Joseph Manchin III has recognized Patriot Coal Corporation mine rescue teams for their outstanding performance at the National Mine Rescue Contest recently held in Nashville, Tennessee and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. In the contest, Patriot teams won First Place in Mine Rescue, First Place in First Aid, and First Place in the Combination event, which reflects the overall proficiency of the teams in mine rescue and first aid competition.

"Our safety program is our highest priority and the cornerstone of our relationship with our employees," said Patriot President and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Whiting. "We have encouraged mine rescue training for decades, and we believe that these competitions allow our employees to hone their emergency preparedness skills to the highest level. In particular, First Place in Mine Rescue is a coveted award, and we are proud of our team's accomplishment. This validates our safety program and the extensive preparedness training our mine rescue teams receive."

As a result of Patriot's robust safety program, its safety incidence rate over the last five years is less than half of the national average for underground mines in the U.S.

About Patriot Coal

Patriot Coal Corporation is a leading provider of coal in the Eastern United States, with eight company-operated mines, two joint venture mines and numerous contractor-operated mines in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. The company ships to electric utilities, industrial users and metallurgical coal customers, and controls approximately 1.2 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves. The company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PCX.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5840

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 8:44 pm
Subject: Worthy cause to commemorate fallen miners

usmra

Worthy cause to commemorate fallen miners of the Naomi Mine, Fayette City, Pennsylvania

This year marks the 100^th year anniversary of the Naomi Mine Explosion, where 34 miners lost there lives.  27 miners are buried at the Fayette City Public Cemetery.

The Mount Auburn Cemetery Association would like to erect a monument intended to give respect to the miners that lost their lives and recognize the 100 year Anniversary of the Naomi Mine Explosion.

The monument will stand as a lasting tribute to each miner who made the ultimate sacrifice while mining coal.

You can help with this historic project by helping us fund the project:

Checks can be made payable to:

Mount Auburn Miners Memorial

Mail to:
Sherry Shondelmyer
300 Fell Street
Belle Vernon PA 15012

Accident Overview

About 7:45 p.m. Sunday, an explosion of firedamp augmented by coal dust resulted in the death of 34 miners, all that were in the mine.  A large quantity of gas must have been ignited.  The gas was not detected before anyone was allowed to enter the mine.  For some time previous to the explosion, only the working places were being examined before the mine was allowed to be entered.

The cause of the gas being present was an open door.  The explosion was caused by an open light or electric arc from the wires.  The system of ventilation was fauty having too many doors.

They commenced to sink a shaft but very little progress has been made.  It was evident that the fireboss had been trying to get the men together preparatory to leaving the mine.

For more information, visit http://www.usmra.com/saxsewell/naomi.htm

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5841

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Tue Nov 6, 2007 8:50 pm
Subject: Mine Safety Shelters

usmra

Mine Safety Shelters

WSAZ-TV - Huntington,WV,USA

November 6, 2007

The first emergency shelter chamber is expected to arrive at an underground West Virginia coal mine today.

State Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training Director Ron Wooten says about 50 shelter chambers should reach West Virginia mines by the end of the year. The chambers are designed to provide enough breathable air, food, water and other necessities to keep trapped miners alive for at least four days.

The first is going to International Coal Group's Imperial Mine near Buckhannon. Though shelter chambers are required only in West Virginia and Illinois, Scott Depot-based ICG has ordered shelters for all its underground mines in Kentucky as well.

ICG says it expects to have shelters capable of holding 20 to 35 miners at all its underground mines by early next year.

The shelter going to the Imperial Mine is an inflatable model from Allentown, Pennsylvania-based ChemBio Shelter and Lester-based A.L. Lee Corporation.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

Reply | Messages in this Topic (4)

#5842

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Wed Nov 7, 2007 1:20 pm
Subject: W.Va. Approves Mine Communications Gear

usmra

W.Va. Approves Mine Communications Gear
Houston Chronicle - United States
By TIM HUBER - Associated Press

November 6, 2007

CHARLESTON, W.Va. � West Virginia has begun approving wireless communications and tracking systems for its 250 or so underground coal mines.

Letters approving mine-by-mine plans for installing communications and tracking gear started going out to mine operators Monday, said Ron Wooten, director of the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.

Separately, the first airtight emergency shelter chamber has been shipped to an underground coal mine.

Both are considered significant developments in the state's effort to bolster safety following the deaths of 12 men after a methane gas explosion at the Sago Mine in January 2006. West Virginia has forged ahead with communications, tracking and underground shelters at a far faster pace than much of the rest of the country, requiring both after Sago and a second high-profile fatal fire at the Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine less than a month later.

Sweeping mine safety legislation passed by Congress last year requires federal regulators to study shelters, but doesn't mandate them across the country. The legislation also gave the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration until mid-2009 to come up with wireless communications and tracking requirements for the nation's 650 underground coal mines.

West Virginia, meanwhile, should have wireless communications and tracking gear installed statewide by the end of third-quarter 2008, Wooten said.

"Some (mines) have already started," he said. "We should have all of them approved by the end of this month."

Recent coal mining tragedies, including Sago and last summer's Crandall Canyon mine collapse in Utah, have underscored the importance of being able to pinpoint the location of workers underground. In both cases, rescuers struggled to locate missing miners.

Yet mines still rely on manual tracking methods such as magnets on boards and pencil and paper to keep a rough handle on where employees are.

"You might see a mine map with stickpins in it, something like that," Wooten said. "That will all change."

Another big change is the addition of emergency shelters. The airtight chambers are designed to provide at least four days of oxygen and other life support for miners who can't escape after a fire, explosion or other underground disaster.

"We will have additional units delivered over the next few days," Wooten said. "I expect we'll probably have somewhere in the neighborhood, totally, of 50-plus units delivered by the end of the year."

The first shelter was scheduled to arrive at International Coal Group's Imperial Mine near Buckhannon on Tuesday. Though shelter chambers are required only in West Virginia and Illinois, Scott Depot-based ICG has ordered shelters for all its underground mines in Kentucky as well.

ICG says it expects to have shelters capable of holding 20 to 35 miners at all its underground mines by early next year.

The shelter going to the Imperial Mine is an inflatable model from Allentown, Pa.-based ChemBio Shelter and Lester-based A.L. Lee Corp.

ChemBio Chief Executive Ed Roscioli said the company has been getting orders from other coal mining states besides West Virginia and Illinois. "Not too many though," he said, adding that customers have been buying components for his company's shelters, such as carbon dioxide scrubbers. Doing so allows them to meet the current MSHA requirement and add a shelter without purchasing the components later, he said.

West Virginia also is closing in on another equipment milestone, according to Wooten. He expects underground mines to have enough emergency air packs this week to meet post-Sago requirements. A surge in orders last year led to a nationwide backlog for the two small companies that manufacture most of the emergency air packs sold to U.S. mines.

"Now we're seeing the shelters beginning to come in and the communications and tracking systems are being deployed," Wooten said. "We're starting to see some hardware."

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5843

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Wed Nov 7, 2007 1:28 pm
Subject: MSHA proposes 'The Great Escape'

usmra

MSHA proposes �The Great Escape�

Pipeline would provide miners air and a way out of danger

Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
By Ken Ward Jr.
November 7, 2007

Federal regulators hope to turn an ordinary set of concrete piping into the next generation of coal-mine rescue systems.

Developers say the system would give miners fresh air and a safe route to escape underground mines in the event of fires or explosions.

U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration officials have dubbed their creation �The Great Escape,� after the 1963 movie about a mass escape from a German POW camp.

MSHA plans to unveil the system Thursday during a demonstration and media event at its Approval and Certification Center near Wheeling.

�This is a good system,� said Mark Skiles, MSHA�s director of Technical Support. �This will save lives.�

In the MSHA plan, mine operators would install 30- or 42-inch-diameter concrete pipes inside underground mine tunnels. Pipes would provide miners with uncontaminated, breathable air, and with a protected escape path.

Also, mine operators could install communications and tracking systems inside the pipes.

�In short, this mine escape system offers miners all of the life-preserving benefits of a refuge chamber and [self-contained self-rescuers], while at the same time, and most importantly, giving them an easy, quick, protected way out of the mine,� according to an MSHA briefing paper.

MSHA has kept the project fairly quiet, and even some well-connected players in the mine safety community were not familiar with it when contacted this week.

Bruce Watzman, a lobbyist on safety issues for the National Mining Association, said he had not heard about The Great Escape project.

But even without seeing it, Watzman said he had many questions about the system.

�Where are you going to put it? How will it be maintained? How will it withstand the explosive forces?� Watzman asked. �There are lots of things that immediately come to mind.�

Others had been invited to Thursday�s event or had been briefed by MSHA, but said that the system will face a host of questions about how well it would work.

�It is fairly low profile,� said Ron Wooten, director of the West Virginia Office of Miners� Health, Safety and Training. �I haven�t heard much about it, but I have a lot of questions, like what kind of explosive forces would it withstand.�

Davitt McAteer, who ran MSHA during the Clinton administration, got a sneak preview of The Great Escape and was impressed with what he saw.

�It has some potential for improving rescue in mine safety settings,� McAteer said. �Anything that moves the ball forward is a positive thing, and this has the potential for moving the ball forward.�

MSHA is unveiling The Great Escape as mine operators are pushing to comply with new mine rescue equipment requirements in both state and federal laws.

Regulators and lawmakers focused on improving mine rescue efforts after the Sago and Darby disasters and the Aracoma Mine fire in 2006. This year, the disaster at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah has added more urgency to the reform efforts.

MSHA officials said that they began working on The Great Escape because they believe escape from a mine fire or explosion is preferred over barricading or use of a refuge chamber.

�Acceptance of this approach and prototype system by the mining community is the first step toward successful widespread use in our nation�s underground mines,� MSHA said. �Of course, overall costs, and possible adjustments or variances to existing regulations to accommodate its use would also need to be evaluated and considered after acceptance of the proven system.�

Skiles said The Great Escape pipes could be installed as mining moves deeper into underground tunnels, and pulled out as mining retreats.

�That�s the beauty of it � it�s all reusable,� Skiles said last week. �You do it just like you do track. As the section is advanced, you add more pipe, and when it retreats, you take the pipe out.�

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com

#5844

From: "USMRA" <usmra@...>
Date: Wed Nov 7, 2007 1:38 pm
Subject: Galamsey Operators Escape From Deep Mines

usmra

Galamsey Operators Escape From Deep Mines

Modern Ghana - Ghana

November 6, 2007

Six illegal gold miners trapped in the Obuasi mine of Anglogold Ashanti have made a dramatic escape by launching an attack on security personnel who had gone to effect their arrest.

The six galamsey operators, trapped 2,300 feet underground at the Adansi Shaft and armed with explosives, knives, machetes and other dangerous weapons, attacked the security men on guard in the underground mines and succeeded in escaping through some of the channels around 7:30 p.m. last Sunday.

This came barely a week after the illegal miners battled security men at Obuasi and escaped from the deep mines where they had been trapped for some days.

Prior to that, the operators had thrown stones at the security men, officials of Anglogold and media men who had gone underground around 12:30 p.m. to investigate.

The illegal operators were holed up in an obscure corner in a rock at the time the officials and journalists arrived in the deep mines and they threatened the life of anyone who attempted getting close to them, insisting that they should be allowed to carry their booty away to enable them to recoup what they considered to be the huge investment they had made.

�We would only come out if the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, comes here to intervene. After coming so close to having access to three quality rocks, we cannot just leave them behind to make the huge investments made go to waste and get home empty handed, so allow us to carry our booty away, � one of them shouted.

The incident came to light last Saturday when security men at Anglogold discovered that the illegal miners had used explosives to gain access into one of their strategic rocks at the Adansi Shaft.

Briefing newsmen on the incident at Obuasi, the Mine Manager, Mr Ahmed Bashiri, said last Saturday, they heard unusual noises at some of their strategic areas within the Adansi Shaft and during investigations, they realised that about six illegal miners had entered the deep mines and exploiting some of their strategic rocks �which had been left purposely to hold the deep mines together�.

He said all attempts to flush them out since last Saturday proved futile and the situation was creating security concerns to the mines.

He expressed concern about the operations of the illegal miners, especially coming at a time Anglogold was planning to undertake further operations underground.

�We are planning to undertake further operations underground, but these illegal miners are creating danger by destroying the pillars that hold the mines together, and if it continues, the mines would finally collapse to create a big problem for the company and the state,� he noted.

Explaining, Mr Bashiri said it was the strategically located Adansi Shaft which would be used to create avenues for further underground mining, � but the rate at which these illegal miners are destroying the shaft can cause the collapse of the mines�.

He, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to collaborate with the management of Anglogold to flush out the illegal miners to protect and secure the mines to enhance their operations.

_______________________________
U. S. Mine Rescue Association
www.usmra.com