Quecreek proves need for mine inspections
Like all Americans, United Mine Workers of America members nationwide were praying hard for the nine miners trapped underground in the Quecreek mine, and we cheered as loudly as anyone when they were rescued. The miners survived, thanks in large part to their own common sense and the expertise of the rescuers above ground trying to save them.
Many people played a role in the successful rescue effort, from the trapped miners themselves to the governor to representatives of state and federal agencies to firefighters to health care workers to the clergy and to the many volunteers who brought food and comfort to rescue workers and waiting family members.
Everyone involved is to be commended for a job well done. The result speaks volumes to the effort.
While the Quecreek rescue was playing out, many UMWA members could not help but be reminded of a terrible accident that occurred Sept. 23, 2001, at the Jim Walter Resources No. 5 coal mine in Brookwood, Alabama.
There, a horrific explosion ripped through a mine section, knocking three miners to the ground and seriously injuring one of them.
The two uninjured miners went to get help for their fallen brother, but when 12 others returned to attempt a rescue, another explosion tore through the mine, killing them all, including the injured miner waiting to be rescued. It was an awful tragedy that was unfortunately overshadowed by the terrible events of Sept. 11.
An inquiry into what caused the Quecreek accident will soon begin, but the investigation into the Brookwood disaster is already well underway.
One of the most alarming things uncovered so far is that prior to the explosions, federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors had cited the mine operator for 31 violations – including high levels of free-floating combustible coal dust – that they allegedly never followed-up on.
Could the coal dust have contributed to the explosions?
We’ll find out in due time, but the UMWA is disturbed that the federal inspectors did not go back to the mine to ensure the violations were corrected.
What’s more disturbing is that the Bush Administration is currently lobbying to cut MSHA’s budget an additional 6 percent, primarily from the agency’s coal enforcement division.
With the number of coal miner deaths rising each of the past three years, enforcement would seem to be the one area that requires beefing up, not trimming down.
The Bush Administration also recently issued policy that lessens the number of times an operator has to sample coal dust levels inside the mine.
Already, it has been proven that more than a few operators routinely cheat on reporting coal dust levels and the Administration’s action will exacerbate the problem, not help it. This means higher dust levels, which could lead to more miners contracting black lung disease.
Finally, the Bush Administration is attempting to fill several key committee posts, such as on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Committee, with people straight out of the industry, and this makes the UMWA worry. Why?
Consider this: Stan Suboleski, a possible appointment to the Review Committee, is an official with Massey Energy, a company whose miners are being injured and killed at an alarming rate.
The UMWA strongly believes that an official working for an operator with Massey’s abysmal record of protecting its miners’ health should not be considered for such an important post.
For more than a century, the UMWA has served as the voice of America’s coal miners, and it was nice to read in last week’s New York Times that our voice remains “powerful.” Our union’s actions and lobbying efforts led to the passing in 1969 of the federal Mine Safety and Health Act and to the creation of state and federal black lung benefit programs and numerous safety training programs.
Historically, we have also been one of the few bodies monitoring MSHA’s policy changes and enforcement procedures, sounding the alarm when needed. It’s because of the UMWA’s efforts that America’s coal miners – union and non-union – enjoy the protections they currently do. In fact, a few years back, some Republican lawmakers wanted to completely abolish MSHA, but we stepped in and fought to ensure that didn’t happen. If it had, I shudder to think how many Quecreeks or Brookwoods would have resulted.
The UMWA is very pleased that the Quecreek miners were all rescued and are all doing well.
The outcome could not have been better. But while the nation’s eyes are focused on the Quecreek accident and the dangerous work of the coal miner, there is really no better time to remind all Americans that the coal miner must continue to enjoy the utmost protection and that the federal agency charged with policing America’s coal mines must be funded at a level that ensures inspections are being carried out and that there are a sufficient number of inspectors to do the job right.
America still depends greatly on coal. It is a plentiful and cheap resource that accounts for more than 50 percent of our nation’s electricity, but the inherent dangers of coal mining still exist today, just as they did more than 100 years ago when the UMWA was created.
Therefore, in light of this weekend’s events, the UMWA calls on the Bush Administration not to further weaken the federal agency charged with protecting America’s coal miners. Thousands – and now millions – of people nationwide will be watching.
Cecil E. Roberts is the international president of the United Mine Workers of America.