Posted on 02/01/2006 3:58:28 PM PST by HHKrepublican_2
DRAWDY, W.Va. — Two mine workers were killed in separate accidents in West Virginia on Wednesday, prompting Gov. Joe Manchin to call on all coal companies to cease production until safety checks can be conducted.
"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 one of the supports along the wall popped loose, said Caryn Gresham, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training.
A bulldozer operator at a surface mine died after the machine struck a gas line and sparked a fire, said Dirk Filpott, 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, and the first at a surface operation.
"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.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Why not just make it against the law for anything bad to happen ever?
What power does a Governor have to unilaterally shut down an entire industry, the biggest in the state. Absurd. I'm sure the Governor of Michigan never tried to shut down the auto industry, even when people died in coke oven accidents, or had limbs sheered off by stamping machines.
Halt car transportation too.
Kneejerk democrat governor.
Who didn't see this coming?
Are you kidding? In the age of federal charity?
Because the UMWA wants the jobs but it wants absolute control over the workplace.
I wonder how many unborn coal miners have been aborted since 1973.
Who pays the bills at the coal companies while the governor does his thing?
That means no paychecks for mine workers, correct?
Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that the UmWA is a terrorist organization that teaches members to destroy property and block public roads and do all sorts of things to intimidate.
A gas line is hit and this has to do with coal mining?
hmmmm, politically motivated "accidents" , maybe they should investigate these "accidents"
1993 - 98
1994 - 85
1995 - 100
1996 - 86
1997 - 91
1998 - 80
1999 - 90
2000 - 85
2001 - 72
2002 - 69
2003 - 56
2004 - 55
2005 - 57
2006 - 18
The unions will demand their workers be paid for not working, of course.
One fatality is too many, but the drop over recent years was done along with a resurgence of coal mining.
It is common for mining operations to take a safety stand down after a series of safety incidents. This appears to be happening on a statewide scale, with the support of the WV Coal Assn.
I did not know the WV Gov had the authority to order a mandatory shutdown of all operations. I wonder if this is mandatory, or if it something the Coal Assn members volunteered to do?
Can we be so callous as to say, what are a few deaths here and there.
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