The Conservative Capital of the World - Somerset, Pa

NRO ^ | July 29, 2002 | Michael Novak

[Movemout]

Don't forget that Gray "Out" Davis would have probably mandated an Environmental Impact Statement to make sure that the fairy shrimp and red legged frogs were not endangered by rescuing the miners. The mine itself might have been declared a wetland in an emergency session of a state court. Boxer and Feinstein would have been offended by the heavy duty assault drills. There was a thread earlier today where some nutcase tried to explain why the investment made to save these miners' was not a wise use of resources.

[Alberta's Child]

Ironically, the "bureaucrats" were involved in that whole operation from the very beginning. Notice how many interviews were given by EPA representatives.

The local fire chief said in the wee ours on Sunday morning that all the credit for coordinating the rescue belonged to two people -- President Bush and Governor Schweiker. I thought that was a curious comment at the time, but apparently the Bush Administration quietly went to great lengths to have any necessary rescue equipment moved to the site immediately (including those nine decompression chambers from the U.S. Navy). Also, EPA representatives were flown to the scene to ensure that the rescue operation was able to move forward with a callous disregard for any and all regulations involving the discharge of mine water into nearby creeks.

That fact that much of the drilling equipment used at the site was manufactured by Halliburton should not be overlooked, either. I understand Halliburton actually invented the special "drill-bit seal" that allows heavy drills to bore into the earth without allowing air to escape back up the shaft. This was a critical piece of equipment on the scene because of the concerns about having a loss of pressure in the mine as soon as the drill bit broke through.

[freedomcrusader]

Also, EPA representatives were flown to the scene to ensure that the rescue operation was able to move forward with a callous disregard for any and all regulations involving the discharge of mine water into nearby creeks.

Couldn't they have done that from their desks? The mere thought that ridiculous bureaucratic regulations could have prevented the rescue, and that a bunch of blowhards felt the need to show up for no other reason than to say, 'don't worry, we won't interfere' (as if the rescuers wouldn't have proceeded anyway), makes me extraordinarily ILL.

[Alberta's Child]

You're right, but after the accusations of EPA wrongdoing in the deaths of those firefighters in Washington or Oregon last year, I suspect they felt a need to avoid ANY potential delays due to uncertainty on the part of the rescue teams.

Make no mistake about it: Forget about how the rescue operation ended in the wee hours of Sunday morning -- the entire operation was only possible because someone made some instant decisions very early on to get that initial 6" shaft drilled down to the air pocket, to get the hot air started down that shaft as quickly as possible, and to set in motion the movement of all the heavy rescue equipment from various places in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, etc.

[Miss Marple]

You have to have people on site to sign waivers and give approval. Can't be done from a desk. No one was grandstanding and hogging the camera; I watched most of the coverage. I did see one interview with a navy team member.

You know, occasionally, with effective leadership, even federal employees can do the right thing. I think you shold give them credit for a fine job done.

[freedomcrusader]

Sorry, but bureaucrats on-site to sign papers and draft upo waivers just doesn't and will never seem like an essential part of a rescue mission to me. Hats off to the Navy for providing decompression chambers, hats off to whomever was responsible for getting the drills there, especially the second one, hats off to folks from the state of PA Dept of Environ. Protection (DEP) whose focus is on mine safety and rescue, etc, etc, etc.

Bureaucrats on site only to sign papers - BOOOOO!!!!!

[Miss Marple]

My husband is a mining engineer who worked in the underground coal mines of Southern Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana.

To locate the men, they looked at where they would most likely retreat to. All mines have an on-going mine plan, sort of an underground diagram/map that shows all openings, pillars, and venitlation shafts. These also show the underground elevation.

Based on where the water came in and the amount of water, they assumed that the guys would end up retreating to the chamber they were in. Based on the mine plan and surface surveys, they determined where to drill in order to reach into the chamber with the warm air pipe.

[Miss Marple]

Well, if you need a signature or verbal approval, isn't it better to have them there than sitting in an office in DC? Isn't it better to have someone there who can say "Sure, go ahead," rather than having to wait while a phone call is made and explain the problem?

I honestly only think there were a couple of people from EPA, and there may have been other reasons they were there as well.

I just think you need to quit looking for things that are wrong in an operation that obviously was run perfectly.

[freedomcrusader]

I wasn't looking for things that were wrong with the operation. The fact that EPA folks were there to get out of the way was put right in front of me - I couldn't miss it and I commented on it.

The rescue operation was a tremendous success, and I had tears in my eyes more than once this weekend watching the whole thing.

However, I do think that rescue workers should be able to assume that they don't have to worry about some fat-butt bureaucrat telling them that their rescue operation violates some stupid environmental regulation, rather than having said fat-butt bureaucrat showing up to tell them that they don't have to worry.

[SoothingDave]

For 77 hours (having lost track of time, in the dark and the monotony), these tough men held on.

Greeat article, just one nit to pick. The one miner I saw interviewd said they had watches and were very aware of exactly what day and hour it was.

SD

[Willie Green]

Checked the famous 2001 Presidential election results nation map - Somerset is in the RED. Well done.

One should not place too much confidence in that "RED" zone designation.
These hardworking blue collar Americans are precisely the ones whose lives the globalist Republicrats are so intent on destroying.
In past years, they could be described as "Reagan Democrats".
More recently, Somerset represents Buchananland.