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Tag archives for MSHA
Coal miner killed in West Virginia while memorial to Upper Big Branch unveiled
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on July 30, 2012 Coal miner Johnny Mack Bryant II, 35, was killed on Friday, July 27 in the “red zone” when he was struck and pinned by a continuous mining machine. Let’s see whether this work-related fatality gives the Labor Department a greater sense of urgency to finalize safety regulations to require proximity detection devices on certain types of mining equipment.
House Republicans say the heck with black lung disease, have a coal miner postage stamp instead
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on July 19, 2012 While investigative reporters are exposing the plague of black lung disease in U.S. coal miners, the best Members of Congress are willing to do is ask for a postage stamp commemorating the American Coal Miner.
“We were in shock. We only wanted to bury our son.”
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on July 18, 2012 The Washington Post’s article “Meaningless millions” captures some of the heartbreak experienced when your loved one is killed on the job, but like most things, there’s more to the story.
Obama’s regulatory czar should pay attention to the uncertainty he creates
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on July 5, 2012 President Obama’s regulatory czar is missing a fundamental component of regulatory uncertainty. It’s pretty simply, make a deadline, stick with it, or explain why it will be missed.
If former Massey Energy is now “Running Right,” why keep secret its safety progress report?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on July 3, 2012 Family members of the April 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster say they are still in the dark. The latest example is Alpha Natural Resources failure to make public a progress report required in its non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
House Republicans say ‘nay’ to new mine safety reforms, no questions left about which side they’re on
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on June 28, 2012 Not a single Republican member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee voted in support of a resolution calling for the Committee to “consider and report legislation to improve safety and whistleblower protections for miners, and increase accountability for dangerous mine operators.” The 29 families of the Upper Big Branch miners now know who is standing with them and who is against them.
Billion dollar mining company hasn’t paid fine for safety violations in 2010 deaths of two workers
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on June 21, 2012 Barrick Gold company was assessed a $447,600 civil penalty from the Labor Department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration following the fatal injury incident in August 2010 that killed two workers. The multi-national corporation has yet to pay the penalty, but you wouldn’t know that reading the firm’s annual Responsibility Report.
Upper Big Branch Families plead for Congressional action on mine safety
Posted by The Pump Handle on June 11, 2012 A delegation of family members who lost loved ones in Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch mine met with senators and representatives of both political parties to urge them to pass legislation for stronger penalties for upper-level officials who violate safety laws.
You’ve heard of ‘green-washing,’ what about fur-washing?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on June 1, 2012 Alpha Natural Resources, which purchased Massey Energy in 2011, is publicizing it very cool mine-rescue dog name Ginny, the first of its kind in the U.S.. I can’t help but wonder though whether the promo-campaign about Ginny isn’t meant to distract us from the serious safety violations discovered in the company’s coal mines.
Occupational Health News Roundup
Posted by Liz Borkowski on March 27, 2012 Earlier this month, the Mine Safety and Health Administration released results of an internal review into the agency’s actions leading up to the April 5, 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, which killed 29 miners in Raleigh County, West Virginia. The Executive Summary reports, “While the Internal Review team did not find evidence that the…