Lack Of Mine Safety Enforcement Linked To Governors Staff by, Jack Swint ..
“Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process,” mindset of Don L. Blankenship, Chief Executive of Massey Energy
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Since Manchin took office in 2004, WV coal miners, and the industry itself, has endured 98 reported mine related fatalities. This is the worst record for a governor since one-hundred related deaths occurred back in the 1960’s in a similar six year period. In 2009 alone, 16,618 violations were written by WVMHS&T inspectors. (See PDF graph below) Also, reported mine safety violations have increased each year during Manchin's leadership. In fact, they have almost doubled since taking office.
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Along with the 33 fatalities to date in 2010, there have been 579 non fatal injuries reported in the 210 active WV mines that employ 19,643 employees. Is there an acceptable casualty rate for safety concerns in our coal mining industry? According to states own published statistics, the "Accident Frequency" ratio compared to the tonnage of coal produced, is 3.43. (see link below).
According to the Governors Office, safety is suppose to be the utmost priority since as far back as1886 when the first WV state mine inspector, Oscar Veazey, first proposed comprehensive mine safety laws. But, in reality, have those same values of protecting the lives of all workers in the coal mining industry been replaced with an acceptable casualty rate ratio verses economic profitability?
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Coal Governs
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1)Taxes paid by the coal industry and by utility companies that make electricity using
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2)The coal industry pays approximately $70 million in property taxes annually. Coal severance taxes add approximately $214 million into
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3) All 55 counties, even the non-coal producing counties receive Coal Severance Tax funds.
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4)The coal industry payroll is nearly $2 billion per year.
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Cutting Life Threatening Corners In Mine Safety.
Over the past few years, former and current inspectors from the WV Division of Labor claim that they have been ordered to perform job duties of MSHA federal inspectors, which is highly illegal. Even if it were lawful, the inspectors claim that they were never properly trained. Several of those inspectors claim that WV Division of Labor Commissioner, David Mullins, volunteered his staff to go out to coal mines and investigate complaints that new miners are not being properly trained to work in the mines.
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They also discovered, reported and complained how some non-union mines are actually using “manpower services” to provide temporary underground coal miners. "Combining non-qualified inspectors and improperly trained and or certified miners is a recipe for disaster" according to one source we interviewed. "It shows the lack of overall safety concern for the coal industry workers."
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“We can’t investigate these types of complaints. For one, there are no policies to follow. But, worse then that, there are no State codes we could enforce even if we wanted to. It’s all federal.” This source did say that they do have some State duties at the mines to enforce, but nothing that has to do with MSHA.
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Moonlighting as federal mine inspectors is a far cry from standard Labor Division responsibilities such as, conducting elevator, boiler and amusement ride inspections. Inspects manufactured homes, and provide state employers an OSHA health and safety program to eliminate job-site hazards. They also verify contractor licenses at job sites and issues cease & desist orders to unlicensed contractors, crane operators and plumbers.
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Reporting Mine Related Fatalities
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There are also discrepancies in the states statistic reporting of mine related fatalities that vary from 2004 to 2010. Governor Manchin’s “
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Other years were also inaccurate. In 2006, only twelve fatalities were reported out of twenty-five actual. 2010, twenty nine were reported out of thirty-three actual. It’s easy to write and pass the laws to give the impression that the government is going to make mine safety its highest priority. It’s also easy to accuse one another as to who is, or is not enforcing state and or federal laws to protect workers in the mining industry..
It appears on the surface that, like war, there is an acceptable casualty rate for injuries and fatalities in the coal mining industry. Massey Executive Don Blankenship alludes to that belief recently in an interview with metronews…. “Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process,”
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End Of Story...
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http://www.wvminesafety.org/2009%20Annual%20Figs/VIOLTYPE2009.pdf
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http://www.wvminesafety.org/History.htm
http://www.wvminesafety.org/inspections.htmhttp://www.wvminesafety.org/fatal97.htm
http://www.wvminesafety.org/default.htm
http://www.msha.gov/focuson/rulestoliveby/Charts/CoalMining.pdf
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