| Since fourteen miners died in a span of three weeks in West Virginia mines, hearings are being held on Capitol Hill regarding mine safety.
Yesterday, David Dye, the Acting Assistant Labor Secretary For Mine Safety & Health, walked out of the hearing before he could answer further questioning and hear from other witnesses.
Under questioning, Dye could not explain why it took officials with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) two hours to learn about the explosion at the Sago mine.
Dye then got into a heated exchange about his leaving the hearing with Republican Senator Arlen Specter. Specter said he could never recall such an exit.
Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, testified, saying "I realize that this may be getting in an area that may offend some people, but in 1969, Mr. Chairman, Congress decided that this industry was incapable of policing itself and established MSHA as an independent body to protect the coal miners of the United States of America."
"And in 2001, under the Bush administration, we put the coal industry in charge of this agency."
"We have submitted 17 rules that were withdrawn in 2001 or later that would have protected coal miners in the United States of America," saying there were many other issues regarding safety the feds systematically allow to happen every day.
Ellen Smith, the editor of Mine Safety and Health News, testified that during the past five years, the number of mines referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution dropped steadily under the Bush administration.
Smith said inspectors who sought to impose large fines on coal companies have seen those penalties whittled down by federal agency negotiators and administrative law judges.
Last year, the operator of an Alabama coal mine where thirteen miners were killed saw its fine reduced from $435,000 to $3,000.
The Charleston Gazette is reporting that mining deaths in Alma, West Virginia have occurred, partly because of a controversial new rule put in place by the Bush administration that allowed mines to use the conveyor belt area as a main source of oxygen for underground workers.
The bodies of two miners were found Saturday night following a fire inside a mine in Logan County
The Alma mine, which is owned by a subsidiary of Massey Energy, had been cited at least 12 times for violations involving fire equipment since June.
The Alma deaths come just weeks after 12 miners died at Sago, which had been cited dozens and dozens of times.
More miners have already died in the state in 2006 than in any year over the past decade.
The West Virginia state legislature unanimously passed a bill aimed at improving mine safety. The measure would require miners to be equipped with wireless devices and additional oxygen tanks in case of an emergency that would trap them underground.
A Sago miner said "We can put men on the moon, but can't provide oxygen for our men that lasts over an hour, saying the antiquated technology to communicate problems is inexcusable in this day and age."
Manchin's safety bill passed this week in Charleston calls for hefty fines against companies who delay in reporting accidents, but if the state bill follows precedent, the fines would be reduced or ignored.
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