Labor Dept. Hires Blocked Nominee for Mining Post (W Post)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070601462_pf.html

Labor Dept. Hires Blocked Nominee for Mining Post

Associated Press
Friday, July 7, 2006; A09

The man President Bush chose to oversee federal mine safety laws has not been able to win Senate confirmation but has gone to work anway at the Labor Department.

The department recently hired Richard Stickler to serve as an adviser on mine safety issues, and he has been on the job a week, Dirk Fillpot, a spokesman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, said yesterday.

The White House nominated Stickler last year to head the mine agency, which is part of the Labor Department. Senate Democrats have so far blocked his confirmation.

Stickler's critics say the former Pennsylvania mine safety official has not demonstrated adequate concern for safety problems in the mining industry.

[Kutjara]

1. It's that Unitary President, Unitary President, Unitary President...

...raaaaaaag! It's so delerious, so mysterious! That Unitary President Raaaag!

(with apologies to, I think, Irving Berlin).

[ShockediSay]

2. "has not demonstrated adequate concern for safety problems"

resulting in loss of life and limb for the miners?

or

resulting in increased expense and loss of profits for the industry?


What do you think?

[struggle4progress]

3. Stickler's for the Rules (Village Voice 7 Feb 06)

18 miners killed this year, and safety nominee says the laws are fine

by James Ridgeway
February 7th, 2006 11:54 AM

... Since the deaths of 18 miners nationwide this year, some in Congress have been pressing for the reform of mine safety rules. Democratic congressman George Miller of California put out a report last week that said between 2001 and 2005, the Bush administration "delayed, weakened, or withdrew a total of at least 18 regulations intended to protect the health and safety of mine workers. At least three of those regulations were intended to boost safety measures that could have directly affected the outcomes at the Sago and Alma mines in West Virginia."

The report went on to say the administration had adopted one particular regulation that weakened safeguards against fires on conveyor belts in mines. Last week's deadly fire at the Alma mine looks suspiciously like it was started on a conveyor belt.

But Stickler doesn't think it is necessary to rewrite the law. "I think generally the laws are adequate," he said at his confirmation hearing last week. "The vast majority could have been prevented if the law was complied with."

Should there be more enforcement? asked Ohio Republican senator Mike De-Wine. "I think there's a compliance problem," Stickler said. "I wouldn't call it an enforcement problem." ... http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0606,mondo1,72101,6.html

I'm guessin the former coal company exec thinks compliance should be voluntary and "enforcement" is a dirty word ...

[Omaha Steve]

5. deaths at 33, well over the 22 miners killed in all 2005

Full story: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/may2006/mine-m26.shtml

Updated total mine deaths so far in 2006 is 33, well over the 22 miners killed in all of 2005.

Two more US coal miners killed in Kentucky and West Virginia
By Jerry White
26 May 2006


The almost daily toll of deaths and injuries in US coal mines continued this week with the loss of two young miners in Kentucky and West Virginia, just days after five coal miners were killed in a mine explosion in eastern Kentucky. The latest deaths bring the number of coal industry fatalities in the first five months of the year to 33, well over the 22 miners killed in all of 2005.

On Tuesday, Steven T. Bryant, 23, of Louisa, Kentucky, was killed when his water truck went over an embankment and crashed at an open-pit mine in Breathitt County. Bryant had only been on the job for about a month at the Risner Branch No. 2 Mine and was normally employed as a rock truck driver, according to Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher.



WPA poster

[Omaha Steve]

4. Report: Ky. Mine Cited Prior to Explosion & 5 deaths on May 20

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/07/06/national/a204710D91.DTL&hw=union&sn=024&sc=246

Report: Ky. Mine Cited Prior to Explosion

Thursday, July 6, 2006


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(07-06) 20:47 PDT Louisville, Ky. (AP) --

The eastern Kentucky coal mine where five men were killed in an explosion received several safety citations deemed "significant and substantial" less than two weeks before the blast, according to a published report.

Federal mine inspectors found an accumulation of loose coal and combustible dust up to 30 inches deep in some places at Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1, according to a Mine Safety and Health Administration report obtained by The Courier-Journal of Louisville on Thursday after filing a Freedom of Information Act request.

Agents reported other combustible material — including wooden pallets and open oil cans — near a conveyor belt. Inspectors also found broken water sprinkler systems and sections of the mine's roof that were not supported.

Two miners were killed in the explosion on May 20 and three others died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators have not determined the cause of the accident.

Federal mine inspectors issued the four citations on May 9, finding the infractions "significant and substantial" and "reasonably likely" to cause injury or illness.

MSHA records show at least one of the areas where infractions were found was cleaned up by May 11.

In late May, the agency released a report detailing 11 additional citations issued at the mine on May 15 and 17. Some were deemed reasonably likely to lead to injury, including one for having combustible materials in sections of the mine in the form of "oil, oil-soaked fine coal and coal dust."

Butch Oldham, a United Mine Workers union international representative who took part in interviews with mine employees as part of MSHA's investigation into the accident, said having coal dust piles more than two-feet high is "excessive."

Darby officials and MSHA had no comment.