Crandall mine disaster: Labor audit confirms families' fears

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_8765452

By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 04/01/2008 01:17:17 AM MDT

Crandall Canyon widow Wendy Black minced no words last September when she told a Senate committee: "It would have taken just one MSHA man doing his job to have saved my husband's life."

Her bitterness over the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration's perceived failure to enforce laws protecting miners was reinforced Monday by an internal Labor Department audit that found local, regional and national deficiencies in MSHA's handling of Crandall Canyon's roof control plan.

"It's just showing everything I tried to explain when I went to Washington," said Black, whose husband, Dale, was one of three rescuers killed Aug. 16 while trying to excavate a way back to six miners buried 10 days earlier.

"Yes, Bob Murray was responsible for the plan. But MSHA is there to protect the miners. It's their job," she said. "That's why we have safety rules. We just want those rules followed."

Her perspective was shared by Erick Erickson Jr., whose son Don was one of the original six buried miners.

"I've maintained all along that MSHA was wrong in giving the OK and I always thought Murray bullied MSHA to the point they backed down and gave him that permission," he said. "I hope it will help it come out in the open because I'm 99 percent certain that's what happened."

FULL story at link.

[Larkspur]

1. I agree with her, but the Republicans have been

undermining saftey regulations everywhere. Wonder if she voted Republican or Democrat in the last 2 elections. Yes, Dems can screw up too, but we all know that the Republicans have systematically deregulated businesses that contributed to their campaign coffers.

[SharonAnn]

2. Didn't the put a mining owner or lobbyist in charge of MSHA?

[Omaha Steve]

3. YEs, recess appointment

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/08/bush-wage-and-hour-nominee-heads-to-union-busting-firm/

DeCamp never won Senate confirmation for the Wage and Hour post, so in August 2006, President Bush circumvented the Senate and used a recess appointment to put him in the job. It’s the same tactic he’s used for other controversial nominees, including Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) chief Richard Stickler.

Then W cut the mine safety budget for this year!