State Safety

From: The Register-Herald.com

By Mannix Porterfield

CHARLESTON — Tipping off an underground crew of an inspector’s arrival on coal mine property becomes a felony with a prison term of up to five years in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s proposed comprehensive safety bill.

Offered Monday, the 54-page document also calls for pre-employment drug screens and demands quarterly checks of self-rescuers.

Tomblin made mine safety a major item in his State of the State address this month, citing the April 5, 2010, tragedy at a Raleigh County coal mine.

Twenty-nine miners perished in a massive explosion that shook the sprawling Upper Big Branch mine that day.

(PRWEB) January 23, 2012

Remember The Miners, the non-profit public awareness campaign dedicated to telling the story of America’s real source of energy – the coal miner – is excited to announce it eclipsed its fundraising goal of $40,000 for the event. Proceeds of the event benefit both Remember The Miners Scholars Program and the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund at West Virginia University.

The event, which was held at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1444 in Charleston, WV, attracted many folks to celebrate coal mining in West Virginia and pay tribute to Remember The … Continue Reading

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — 2011 marked the second straight year without a work-related fatality in Pennsylvania’s underground and coal mining industries, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer announced today. He noted that a combination of increased oversight, industry practices and a vigilant labor force played a crucial role in this safety achievement.

“The mining industry is a vibrant and vital part of Pennsylvania’s economy, and the safety of the workers is paramount,” Krancer said. “We are proud to be the world’s leader in mining safety, and we are particularly proud of Pennsylvania’s contribution to that. … Continue Reading

From: The Charleston Gazette

By Ken Ward Jr.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin promised Wednesday night to seek more state mine safety improvements, but his list of proposals fell short of what independent investigators have said is needed to truly reform West Virginia’s mining operations.

In a State of the State address that repeated Tomblin’s strong allegiance to the coal industry, the governor also outlined his legislative response to investigative findings concerning the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster.

“Just as we must continue to mine coal, we must make certain that our miners are safe,” Tomblin said.

From: WYMT-TV/Mountain News

                                  
In all, 21 miners died in the U.S. in 2011. Most of those miners were killed in Kentucky.