GOV MANCHIN HALTS COAL PRODUCTION

[FREEDOMRULES3]

IF YOU FOLKS DONT TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THIS GUY FOR A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE YOU ARE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE. THIS GUY IS "REAL"

W. Va. Governor Calls for Coal Mining Halt
Move Comes on Heels of Two More Deaths
By LAWRENCE MESSINA, AP

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Feb. 1) - Gov. Joe Manchin called for all coal companies in West Virginia to halt production and perform safety checks after two more mine workers were killed Wednesday in separate accidents."We're going to check for unsafe conditions, and we're going to correct any unsafe conditions before we mine another lump of coal," Manchin said.A miner was killed at an underground mine when a wall support popped loose, said Caryn Gresham, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training.The second fatality occurred at a surface mine when a bulldozer struck a gas line, sparking a fire and killing the operator, said Dirk Fillpott, a spokesman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The deaths brought to 16 the number of mining-related fatalities in West Virginia since Jan. 2."West Virginia remains committed to putting the safety of every one of our miners first and foremost, far above any production that might come from that mining operation," Manchin said at a news conference.The governor said he did not know how long it would take the state's 229 surface and 315 underground mines to conduct safety checks, which would include reviewing mine conditions, safety checklists and designated escape routes.As he issued his call for a production shutdown, the governor was joined by Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association."If you don't have a safe mine, you don't have a productive mine," Raney said.

West Virginia is the nation's second-largest coal producer, after Wyoming. It was not immediately clear how much a shutdown might cost the state's industry, Raney said.Ted Pile, a spokesman for Alpha Natural Resources, which operates several mines in the state, said he had not heard of the governor's request.Pile added that the deaths were "tragic news. ... We had made some progress in mine safety but we now have to refocus our efforts."Calls to other coal companies that operate in the state were not immediately returned.The identities of the two mine workers killed Wednesday were not released pending notification of their relatives.Gresham said the underground miner died at Long Branch Energy's No. 18 Tunnel Mine in Boone County, in southwestern West Virginia. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, she said.The bulldozer operator died at the Black Castle Surface Mine, also in Boone County, Gresham said. Black Castle is operated by Elk Run Coal Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy Co. The death was the third at a Massey subsidiary in less than two weeks.The fatalities followed the deaths of a dozen miners from carbon monoxide poisoning after a Jan. 2 explosion at International Coal Group Inc.'s Sago Mine. The explosion trapped the men hundreds of feet underground. The sole survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., is recovering in a rehabilitation hospital.Less than three weeks after Sago, two miners died in a belt line fire at Massey's Aracoma Coal Alma No. 1 mine in Melville, about 180 miles away.

Manchin responded to those earlier tragedies by pushing a state mine-safety bill through the Legislature in a single day. The bill requires coal companies to provide miners with emergency communicators and tracking devices, and to store extra air supplies underground. That legislation also mandates that companies report mine accidents within 15 minutes or face a $100,000 penalty.West Virginia's congressional delegation followed up those efforts Wednesday. The delegation introduced legislation that would require the agency in charge of the nation's underground coal mines to toughen fines, enforce existing rules and issue new ones to give trapped miners a better chance of surviving fires, explosions and cave-ins.U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., helped draft that legislation and in a speech in the House on Wednesday noted that two more miners had been killed in the state."The death toll must stop," he said. "This is scandalous


http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060201180509990017&cid=

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. No need to shout. You can turn off the caps lock key now.

And welcome to DU! :hi:

I, too, am impressed that he ordered the shut down of all the mines. That's a hell of a thing, especially in West Virginia.

I wouldn't be surprised if he "commits suicide" in the next day or two, with the help of the mining industry.

[upi402]

2. WOW! he can do that?

cool

next they'll organize unions again.

[FREEDOMRULES3]

3. GOT NADS?

IT TAKES A LOT OF BALLS TO DO THIS ... HE'S GOT EM. I THINK THIS GUY CAN SERIOUSLY WIN , HE IS VERY LIKABLE, IS A CENTRIST, AND DOESNT CARRY A BUNCH OF BAGGAGE LIKE ANYONE WHO IS IN THE SENATE. GOVERNORS WIN PRESIDENTIAL RACES. A GOOD DOWN TO EARTH GUY.oops sorry about the caps , was working on something and didnt even notice. seriously though this guy can win for ya , he can win republican votes too.

[CottonBear]

5. No need to post in all caps. n/t

[Rainscents]

6. Are you excited? LOL

Yes, I agree, he did the right thing and I am very proud of him! I think, he should also fine "HUGE" these fuckers who break the laws!

[GrpCaptMandrake]

8. And goes to dinners and rubs elbows as the special guest

of the morally bankrupt, ethically dead "pro-life" industry.

I like the fact that Joe is finally showing a little bit of regard for working people. Kinda had it forced on him.

But an anti-choice Democratic Presidential candidate?

Not so much.

And welcome to DU!




Live, liberal talk from a secure, undisclosed location in West Virginia

[northofdenali]

11. It's so heartening to see a new DUer who is

obviously excited!! Welcome to the best site on the Web. Know that those of us who call DU "home" also appreciate the Governor's efforts.

:hi:

[fooj]

16. Let me second that welcome!

:hi:

[CottonBear]

4. You need to post a link & no more than 4 paragraphs as per DU rules.

Thanks for posting but you should edit your post.

[FREEDOMRULES3]

7. sorry

didnt quite know the rules its an aol link so not everyone may be able to read it not sure.

i'm not that excited , just telling you all you should look at this guy . he has a much better chance than a lot of others the dems think can win. imo

i might add he will take wv easily, and pennsylvania without any problems like before but most importantly he can take Ohio for ya.

[CottonBear]

15. No problem. Welcome to DU. The rules are available to read.

:hi: Welcome and jump right into DU!

I will read more about the subject of your post. I'm not so sure that he is a politician I can support.

[Sydnie]

9. this will just encourage them to do more moutaintop removal

Not that that will save deaths because it won't. It will just make it harder to tie them directly to the mines and will affect even those that aren't miners.

I'm not knocking Manchin, I just don't want them to do more moutaintop removal.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. NO!manchin is an anti-abortion,union-hating gop-supporting fake democrat

i live in wv
he's been in the pocket of the coal industry his whole career and has disregarded safety regulations until sago.
he turned on the 96 dem nominee for governor, the populist charlotte pritt, and openly backed the rightwing extremist republican nominee, cecil underwood
he threatened unions throughout his 04 campaign, telling him that if they didn't endorse him , despite his horrid record on labor, he would refuse to talk to them when he acheived his inevitable win (he ran virtually unoppsed(
he's a career politician who ran for governor for practically a decade. he jumped into the race in 04 when the incumbent dem, bob wise, had an extramarital affair 9exposed by the rw charleston daily mail). he intended on running a 'values' campaign against wise in the primary, but wise decided to retire instead of running again.
ask any progressive in this state. manchin is a clost republican from one of the most corrupt familes of career politicians in the state

[Glorfindel]

12. I'm a little bitter toward West Virginia, anyway

As far as I'm concerned, it was West Virginia that elected B*shit both times, not to mention TWO DINO senators and one DINO governor. Probably no other state has profited more from wise Democratic policies, and to see it go Repuke TWICE is almost unbearable.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

13. oh yeah? try living here

then you'll really be fed up.

there isn't a single dem politician currently serving in the state, with the possible exception of nick rahall and maybe caputo in the house, that isn't a DINO.

hell, ex-gop richie robb just joined the party and he's 1000 times more progressive than any of the states lifelong dems
we've had some greats, ken hechler, charlotte pritt, warren mcgraw but they're all out of office now and were smeared not just by the GOP, but the FakeDem establishment

[Glorfindel]

14. My deepest sympathies...I'm in Mississippi - 'nuff said

At least nobody expects anything from Mississippi but loathsome politicians. West Virginia should know better, and Lord knows I wish it well. Some of the most beautiful scenery on earth is found in that state, and it's being gnawed away by coal companies. What a f***ing pity.

[theHandpuppet]

19. The campaign against McGraw was especially vicious

During the last campaign I was getting recorded phone calls nearly every day from as far away as Utah trying to paint McGraw as a pedophile-enabling lawmaker!

Yes, Manchin is very bad news for anyone even slightly left of fundie fascist. Anti-union, anti-choice, homophobic, you name it. He only won because he appealed to the "gods, guns, gays and abortion" crowd. Sad to say I don't think there's even a centrist Dem who could win in WV now. Only DINOs.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

21. Welcome to DU, Glorfindel

I can second almost every bit of your post.

On November 3, 2004, on my show, "Head-On With Bob Kincaid," I said that we here in West Virginia didn't have an election as much as we had an IQ test. And in that regard, we earned a seat on the short bus.

Now let's talk about Mississippi . . . :shrug:

:hi:


www.whiterosesociety.org/Kincaid.html
Talk radio for southern liberals

[xxqqqzme]

17. I knew there was a reason

manchin gave me the creeps - thanx

[CanOfWhoopAss]

18. Took a few deaths before acting and now I suspect the price of coal will

go up because he didn't make sure things were set straight sooner.

[samhsarah]

20. Wow