The Utah mine disaster: A tragic consequence of government-industry collusion

[IndianaGreen]

The Utah mine disaster: A tragic consequence of government-industry collusion

By Barry Grey
8 August 2007

The Utah mine disaster, which has left six miners trapped 1,500 feet below ground, is but the latest tragic result of the collusion between the US government and the American mining industry. The health and safety of miners are wantonly sacrificed to boost the profits of the coal companies.

Forty six miners were killed in job-related accidents last year and ten have died so far this year.

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The Crandall Canyon Mine is half-owned by UtahAmerican Energy, a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation. UtahAmerican Energy operates the mine. Cleveland-based Murray Energy is the largest independent, family-held coal producer in the US. It operates four mines in Utah with 700 employees, and eleven mines nationally.

The Crandall Canyon Mine, a small operation employing 71 workers, has been issued 325 citations by MSHA for safety violations since January 2004. The ownership has been ordered to pay nearly $152,000 in penalties. The Associated Press reported last month that mine inspectors cited the mine for violating federal rules requiring that at least two separate passageways be designated for escape in an emergency. This was the third time in less than two years that the mine had been cited for that problem.

The founder, chairman, president and CEO of Murray Energy is Robert Murray, a major donor to the Republican Party who is well connected to the Bush administration and the Republican congressional leadership. At an extraordinary press conference held at the mine site Tuesday, Murray gave vent to the despotic outlook prevalent among mine owners. Evidently, no section of the mass media had any qualms about allowing the mine boss to serve as the primary source of information to the public on the reasons for the cave-in and the state of the rescue operation.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/aug2007/utah-a08.shtml