Sago Mine Disaster And An Overview Of Mine Safety

Sago Mine disaster and an overview of mine safety: hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, second session, special hearing January 23, 2006, Washington, DC.

News accounts of miners losing their lives as a result of accidents at underground coal mines have appeared more often in recent years. The methane explosion in 2006 at West Virginia's Sago mine, in which 12 trapped miners died, shined a bright light on working conditions at the nation's coal mines. The partial collapse in 2007 at Utah's Crandall Canyon mine further drew attention to the plight of coal miners who work underground. These, among other incidents through 2007, prompted Congress to step up its legislative and oversight activities with respect to the safety and health of those who toil in the country's coal mines. This book examines the working conditions in the coal mining industry, and describes the regulatory regime of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Dramatic mine accidents early in 2006 have led to passage of the first major amendment to federal mine safety law since 1977. The Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act requires each mine to have an emergency plan, increased supplies of oxygen, and improved rescue teams. Penalties for violations have also been increased. Although the bill had wide support in Congress, some Members have characterised it as only a "first step," to be followed by additional measures that would include a lower maximum limit on dust concentrations, underground refuges, communications and tracking devices, and greater emphasis on enforcement of standards. On January 2, 2006, the nation was reminded of the dangers of underground mining, as 12 miners died in an explosion and fire in the Sago mine in West Virginia. Subsequently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued new regulations; Congress has passed the first major revision of the mine safety law since 1977 and has taken further bills under consideration; and state legislatures in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois have tightened their own laws. These responses have emphasised factors thought to have played a part in the Sago tragedy, including emergency oxygen supplies, tracking and communication systems, and deployment of rescue teams. There have also been proposals to increase the penalties for violations of safety standards.