Two more West Virginia miners died Wednesday after three mine accidents occurred at three separate mining operations over a span of a few hours Wednesday.
Gov. Joe Manchin responded with an immediate "safety stand-down" for all mines in the state, asking operators to voluntarily shut down equipment in the middle of the shift and provide safety training for every miner, supervisor and operator regardless of mine size. The safety training must be repeated at the beginning of each shift.
"We will not produce another lump of coal until we can be certain the mines are safe," Manchin said. "If we have unsafe conditions, we need to correct those immediately before another lump of coal is produced."
The safety stand-down impacts both underground and surface mines. It is a voluntary stand-down, but Manchin's spokeswoman, Lara Ramsburg, said so far no coal operators have denied the governor's request.
Manchin said he wants all operations to stop until coal miners, coal operators and work supervisors, as well as state officials, are sure the mines are safe and workers are familiar with safety precautions.
"No miners will go in until this is done," Manchin said.
Manchin also announced that he will ask inspectors to visit every mine in the state as soon as possible to make sure there are no looming safety issues. Typically mines are inspected every quarter. Manchin wants the inspections to occur immediately.
"We will go mine by mine, surface job by surface job until every mine is inspected," he said.
Manchin could not estimate how long the safety stand-down would last, saying it could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When asked whether the safety stand-down would have a detrimental impact on mine companies or state coal severance tax revenues, Manchin said those issues didn't even come into consideration.
"I'm worried about the miners right now; I'm not worried about the.... Well, I'm worried about the miners," he said.
The cease in production, he said, was "the right thing to do."
The names of the two miners who died Wednesday were not released as of 7 p.m. Information regarding the accidents also was not clear.
However, this is known: At about noon Wednesday, a rib wall at the Long Branch Energy No. 18 Tunnel Mine in Boone County collapsed on a miner. The miner was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
About two hours later, a bulldozer operator at the Elk Run Black Castle surface mine in Boone County died after his equipment hit a gas line and sparked a fire.
A third underground coal miner received minor injuries while working at the Kanawha Eagle mine, which operates near the border of Kanawha, Lincoln and Boone counties. The condition of that injured miner is not known.
Elk Run Black Castle mine is a subsidiary of Massey Energy. It was most recently inspected on Jan. 19. In 2005, the federal Mine Safety Health Administration recorded 103 violations at the mine.
Long Branch Energy No. 18 Tunnel most recently was inspected on Dec. 22. In 2005, MSHA recorded 50 violations at that mine.
Kanawha Eagle mine was not found on MSHA's Web site, www.msha.gov.
Mining industry officials have said reported violations range from safety infractions to problems with paperwork. They note that violations are subject to appeal, and the number of violations at a mine may not reflect its specific safety conditions.
Chris Hamilton of the West Virginia Coal Association said he did not believe the governor's safety stand-down would negatively impact coal operators in the state.
"What you are seeing is the governor, like a lifeguard, blowing his whistle, ordering everyone out of the pool and making sure they are reminded of the dangers of water," he said.
Hamilton could not recall any other governor making such a request of coal companies before. He said a state mine safety administrator called for a similar cease-operation about two or three years ago after a string of mining accidents. He said an MSHA official also called for a cease operation a decade or so ago.
"But I'm not aware of a mine safety shutdown (stand-down) being ordered by a governor," he said
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Gov. Joe Manchin responded with an immediate "safety stand-down" for all mines in the state, asking operators to voluntarily shut down equipment in the middle of the shift and provide safety training for every miner, supervisor and operator regardless of mine size. The safety training must be repeated at the beginning of each shift.
"We will not produce another lump of coal until we can be certain the mines are safe," Manchin said. "If we have unsafe conditions, we need to correct those immediately before another lump of coal is produced."
The safety stand-down impacts both underground and surface mines. It is a voluntary stand-down, but Manchin's spokeswoman, Lara Ramsburg, said so far no coal operators have denied the governor's request.
Manchin said he wants all operations to stop until coal miners, coal operators and work supervisors, as well as state officials, are sure the mines are safe and workers are familiar with safety precautions.
"No miners will go in until this is done," Manchin said.
Manchin also announced that he will ask inspectors to visit every mine in the state as soon as possible to make sure there are no looming safety issues. Typically mines are inspected every quarter. Manchin wants the inspections to occur immediately.
"We will go mine by mine, surface job by surface job until every mine is inspected," he said.
Manchin could not estimate how long the safety stand-down would last, saying it could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When asked whether the safety stand-down would have a detrimental impact on mine companies or state coal severance tax revenues, Manchin said those issues didn't even come into consideration.
"I'm worried about the miners right now; I'm not worried about the.... Well, I'm worried about the miners," he said.
The cease in production, he said, was "the right thing to do."
The names of the two miners who died Wednesday were not released as of 7 p.m. Information regarding the accidents also was not clear.
However, this is known: At about noon Wednesday, a rib wall at the Long Branch Energy No. 18 Tunnel Mine in Boone County collapsed on a miner. The miner was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
About two hours later, a bulldozer operator at the Elk Run Black Castle surface mine in Boone County died after his equipment hit a gas line and sparked a fire.
A third underground coal miner received minor injuries while working at the Kanawha Eagle mine, which operates near the border of Kanawha, Lincoln and Boone counties. The condition of that injured miner is not known.
Elk Run Black Castle mine is a subsidiary of Massey Energy. It was most recently inspected on Jan. 19. In 2005, the federal Mine Safety Health Administration recorded 103 violations at the mine.
Long Branch Energy No. 18 Tunnel most recently was inspected on Dec. 22. In 2005, MSHA recorded 50 violations at that mine.
Kanawha Eagle mine was not found on MSHA's Web site, www.msha.gov.
Mining industry officials have said reported violations range from safety infractions to problems with paperwork. They note that violations are subject to appeal, and the number of violations at a mine may not reflect its specific safety conditions.
Chris Hamilton of the West Virginia Coal Association said he did not believe the governor's safety stand-down would negatively impact coal operators in the state.
"What you are seeing is the governor, like a lifeguard, blowing his whistle, ordering everyone out of the pool and making sure they are reminded of the dangers of water," he said.
Hamilton could not recall any other governor making such a request of coal companies before. He said a state mine safety administrator called for a similar cease-operation about two or three years ago after a string of mining accidents. He said an MSHA official also called for a cease operation a decade or so ago.
"But I'm not aware of a mine safety shutdown (stand-down) being ordered by a governor," he said
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