Utah miners' families testified at House hearing today: MURRAY, LABOR DEPT. ARE UNCOOPERATIVE

[DeepModem Mom]

CNN: Congressman: Utah mine collapse appears a 'preventable tragedy'


Gage Phillips, the five-year-old son of miner Brandon Phillips, listens during Wednesday's hearing.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Relatives of the six dead Utah miners told a House committee Wednesday that their loved ones were victims who had voiced safety concerns prior to the August 6 collapse. The company that operated the Crandall Canyon mine in central Utah valued "production over safety," said Cesar Sanchez, brother of miner Manuel Sanchez. Manuel Sanchez, who had been a miner for 17 years, had asked for a meeting to discuss his safety concerns, his brother said, without elaborating. "He said the mine safety was not right," Cesar Sanchez said. Sanchez was among four relatives who testified that those who died in the collapse had been concerned about mine safety, but were reluctant to push too hard for fear of losing their jobs....

***

The House Committee on Education and Labor held the oversight hearing ahead of plans to introduce legislation aimed at the families' complaints, said Rep. George Miller, D-California, the panel's chairman. Miller criticized the federal agency in charge of mining safety and the owners of the Crandall mine for failing to cooperate in the committee's probe. The collapse appeared to be a "preventable tragedy," he said.

"In late August, we requested a comprehensive list of critical documents and communications from both Murray Energy Corporation and the Department of Labor to help us with our independent investigation," Miller said. The department oversees the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA. "I regret to say that neither the department nor the company has been fully cooperative with us to date. They have yet to comply with many of the basic requests for information," Miller said.

The Department of Labor has created additional problems by cutting staff, hiring officials from the coal industry, failing to move decisively to require miners to be provided modern wireless communications and underground rescue chambers, and failing to track mine operators' compliance with rescue plans, he said. Family members accused MSHA of not being vigilant enough about regulating the industry, and of failing to keep families informed after the disaster. Instead, mine co-owner Bob Murray, CEO and president of Murray Energy Group, took the lead for several weeks.....

Steve Allred, brother of miner Kerry Allred, said miners at Crandall were involved in "retreat mining," a dangerous practice in which pillars of coal holding up the ceiling of a mine are destroyed in an effort to dislodge more coal....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/03/congress.crandall.mine/index.html

[blondeatlast]

1. It's very simple. Bush, Cheney, LLC have installed federal agency management

designed expressly to destroy regulatory agencies from within.

Why the MSM hasn't caught on to this, well--I do the answer to that, but I sure as hell don't like it.

[hang a left]

2. You know I seriously don't know if I can come to DU anymore

It is really not good for my mental health.

knr

[blondeatlast]

3. K nt

[DeepModem Mom]

4. a.m. kick

[malaise]

5. I'm putting my links on your thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1971740

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Thanks, malaise -- this will kick this info again. nt