Posted on 02/01/2006 6:13:55 PM PST by Indy Pendance
CHARLESTON, West Virginia (Reuters) - West Virginia closed all coal mining operations in the state for safety checks on Wednesday after a series of accidents that killed 16 miners in the last month.
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin announced the shutdown after three separate mine accidents in the state on Wednesday that left two miners dead and others injured.
"As a result of these three incidents, all of which occurred within just the last few hours, I am calling on the industry to cease production activities immediately and go into a mine safety stand down," the Democratic governor told reporters at the state capital.
In Washington, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration called for coal mines across the country to take one hour before the start of each regular work shift this Monday to discuss hazards and safeguards that need to be taken in a national safety "stand down."
The spate of West Virginia mining disasters began on January 2 when 12 miners perished in a blast at International Coal Group's Sago mine in Tallmansville in the state's worst mining disaster since 1968.
Manchin said on Wednesday he had ordered the immediate inspection of every coal mine in the state and was contacting federal officials to help.
The West Virginia Coal Association, a coalition of mine owners who employ more than 35,000 people, said it supported the governor's action and estimated it could take nearly two weeks to inspect every mine.
"We embrace his call for this stand down and hopefully it will provide some good results," said Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the group. "There will be a lot of lost revenue but if it saves one accident, it will be worth it."
The United States has the world's largest coal reserves, and West Virginia is one of the nation's biggest producers, mining nearly half a million tons a day.
Coal is used to produce more than 50 percent of U.S. electricity.
On Wednesday, one miner was killed at Boone County's Long Branch No. 18 Mine when a safety wall fell. At the Black Castle surface mine, also in Boone County, a bulldozer operator struck a natural gas line, starting a fire that killed him.
A third accident resulted in minor injuries in Kanawha County at a Kanawha Eagle Coal Company mine. No further details were immediately available.
On January 21 two miners were found dead after a fire at the Massey Energy-owned Aracoma mine in Melville.
SAFETY LAW
"Today has once again been a difficult day for our state's miners, their families and our mining industry," said Manchin, who last month steered new safety measures into law.
The new law requires a 24-hour mine accident hot line to mobilize rescue teams immediately, locater devices for miners and additional oxygen supplies placed underground. It also calls for mines to have a lifeline with reflective markings to lead miners to oxygen caches and hopefully out of a mine after an accident.
"My office is also in the process of filing emergency rules tonight that are the next step in implementing the mine safety legislation that was passed by the legislature last week," Manchin said.
Energy traders said an extended shutdown of West Virginia mines could put upward pressure on other energy prices, particularly natural gas which is also used by utilities to produce power.
"The energy market is still nervous, and a move such as this is likely to provide continuing support to alternative fuels like oil or natural gas. This is not bearish news," said Jay Levine at enerjay LLC, an energy brokerage and consulting firm based in Maine.
In overnight trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures prices shot up about 35 cents to $9.07 per million British thermal units on news of the mining halt.
I agree! From what I understand, he could do it and we would still be ahead money wise.
Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't there going to be charges against the mine owners?
I'm not sure. I haven't read about that.
They have no proper context.
ping
I spent some time discussing tourism and the four-laning of Rt 35 with him at a Chamber of Comm. meeting. He was very very attentive and did not appear to be in a hurry to move on. He was very pleasant and I felt that he was genuine. I am usually able to get a "sense" of people pretty quickly. It's part of my job as well as due to a lot of years of experience interacting with thousands of people. Politicians are notorious for appearing one way and being another, but I got the same sense of Joe as I get from Dubya. He's religious, pro-life, small gov., social conservative. If he ever ran for president I would feel comfortable voting for him.
Yeah, those taxes need to go. I'll tell the gov. next time I talk to him.
Thanks!
People...save your breath...you may as well talk to a post. This lady does not want to be confused by the facts. (She probably still believes Kennedy graduated from Harvard.) The truly sad things is that she gets to vote.
what, no one died in PA mines during the vaunted Bubbaloon MSHA reign? prove it.
Yes, surely no mine accidents occurred during the reign of St. Bubba the Pure. Oh, if only President Bush wasn't in charge of what every single molecule does each moment within the borders of the United States, we could all be happy and sing kum bai yah together. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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