2 Killed in West Virginia Mine Where Safety Lapses Were Cited

[eilen]

Source: New York Times

WHARTON, W.Va. — Two miners died late Monday in an accident inside a West Virginia coal mine whose long history of safety violations had already brought it under special scrutiny by federal officials.

Safety records show, however, that the mine had been cited 46 times since 2011, including 16 times in 2013 and this year, for unwarrantable failure to comply with safety rules, which the agency defines as “aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence.” The agency levied more than $4.2 million in fines for the 2013 and 2014 violations.

The Charleston Gazette reported on Tuesday that federal audits in 2012 and 2013 uncovered 37 injuries to miners that the company did not report to federal officials.

The victims were identified as Eric D. Legg, 48, of Twilight, W.Va., and Gary P. Hensley, 46, of Chapmanville, W.Va. Mr. Legg was on his last week at the mine and was soon to start at another, said Robert Rash, 45, a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/us/west-virginia-mine-accident.html?emc=edit_th_20140514&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=54099174&_r=0

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Federal regulations and Unions are important. I don't know if this mine was protected by a union as there is no union representative quoted.

[James48]

1. Non-union mine

That was the Brody #1 mine- a NON-Union mine being run by the "Patriot Coal Company".

You notice that many of those renegade companys, that so often run afoul of safety regulations, have names like "Patriot Coal" running around killing people in mine-closing operations taking out the last pillers of coal holding up the mine roof- , and "Freedom Industries", who destroyed the water in West Virginia with chemical contamination.

The owners of those companies- They ought to be in jail.

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United Mineworkers of America -UMWA president issues statement about mine fatalities

Posted on May 13, 2014
by Allie Robinson Gibson

TRIANGLE, Va. - Cecil Roberts, president of United Mine Workers of America International, said in a released statement that the hearts and prayers of the UMWA are with the families of them killed in a mining accident last night.

Eric D. Legg and Gary P. Hensley were killed in an accident at Patriot Coal's Brody Mine No. 1 in Boone County, W.Va.

"Central to our international union's mission is to advance and protect the interests of all coal miners, union and nonunion alike," the statement read, in part. "We stand ready to assist the affected families in any way we can."
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[putitinD]

2. USA, USA, USA

[valerief]

3. Someone's going to get sternly worded letter. And nothing else. nt