The story of
12 dead miners in West Virginia is horrible enough. But when, overnight, it seemed for a few hours that there had been a "miracle" rescue, it only makes news of the loss worse.
There will be a collective national experience of shock and bewilderment today as newspapers readers across the country pick up papers with headlines screaming "They're Alive." (See 400 front pages from around the world.) The papers rolled off the presses while the news seemed to be true. By the time they hit the driveway, the story was no longer true. How will this affect the way readers look at the news media?
How will this affect the faith of people who were relieved to think there was a "miracle" only to learn the miracle was that one person, not 12, survived?
There are many more angles to consider.
West Virginia is the nation's second-largest producer of coal, behind
Wyoming. However, more than half of all the states have some coal production.
See a chart [PDF] from the
National Mining Association. Where is
America's coal?
Here is a map [PDF].
You can find the names and phone numbers of mine rescue teams nationwide by going to the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration's Web site. The members of your regional rescue teams might help you understand what they have seen in your area.
More resources:
- International:
- National:
- State:
National Impacts of Coal Mining
There are a number of resources available that can provide an indication as to the role that coal mining plays in American energy, economic and occupational sectors. Here are some links from the National Mining Association:
General Statistics:
Maps and Tables on Coal Resources and Coal Use in the U.S.:
Fewer Deaths, Fewer Miners
Coal-mining fatalities were down nationwide in 2005. You can see state-by-state figures on this chart, from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Only Kentucky and Pennsylvania saw a increases last year.
In West Virginia, mining fatalities dropped from 12 in 2004 to three in 2005.
For much more detailed reports, use these self-extracting inspection files that you will need to drop into a spreadsheet such as Excel.
In fact, the remarkable national decline [PDF] in coal-mining deaths is a story in itself.
Look at this chart of coal-mining fatalities nationwide, going back to 1900.
Twenty-two coal mine workers died in 2005. However, more than three times that many (68) died 20 years before (1985) and more than 10 times 2005's figure died in 1965 (259 deaths). Go back to 1955, fifty years before, and you will find that 420 miners died that year. Seventy years before (1935), 1,242 miners died.
Of course, there are more than four times fewer people working in mines now than there were back then. See old photos of old mining practices, often involving children who worked in the mines.
According to MSHA, more than 270 new coal mines [PDF] opened in 2005.
Sago Mine Safety Record
The federal government makes it easy to look at inspection records of coal mines. They are updated regularly. The latest inspection records for the Anker West Virginia Mining Company Inc.'s Sago Mine in Upshur County, W.Va. are as recent as a few weeks ago. All you need to get started is a mine ID number. The Sago Mine ID is 4608791.
Mining Inspection Resources
The U.S. is divided up into 11 Coal Mine Safety and Health districts. Here is a link to those regional pages.
Here, you can find the government's inspection background on the Sago Mine in West Virginia. Just enter the mine ID number, choose "violations" and scroll down the tables. In 2005, the government proposed fines for Anker, the company that operates the Sago Mine, that total almost $25,000 for violations; the company has paid a little more than $14,000 (so far).
Only a few weeks ago, the feds cited the company for a number of violations, but inspectors did not propose any fines. According to the MSHA chart, the most recent Sago Mine violations have not yet been assessed. (Click on the "Standard" column to see the specific violation for each item listed.)
Among the December 2005 inspector findings were fire-extinguisher violations and violations for surface (above-ground) travelways such as railways. There were three violations issued just since Dec. 18, 2005 regarding a "roof control plan."
The mine was also cited less than a month ago for allowing coal dust to accumulate. Last month, the mine was cited (not fined) for not having proper atmospheric monitoring systems.
In November, inspectors did propose fines for inadequate mine ventilation and inadequate roof bolts.
MSHA has been updating information on the West Virginia mine on its Web site.
History of Accidents
The Sago Mine has a number of accidents in its file. Click here for more information. (Remember: the mine's ID number is 4608791. Enter that number into the MSHA's data retrieval system, then choose "Accidents" for a detailed report.) Many of the accidents include unintentional roof falls. The Charleston Gazette explored the roof-fall angle under the notion that the series of recent minor roof falls may have been an indication that the mine needed to fix roofing problems. The paper said:
Three of the roof falls occurred after International Coal Group finalized its purchase of the Anker operation in mid-November.
Other Mining Background
There are several kinds of underground mines. Shaft mines are those in which miners go straight down into the earth. See diagrams.
The United Mine Workers site has a step-by-step explanation of how underground miners do their work.
Other Occupational Injuries and Fatalities
Many times, we only hear about coal mines in times of tragedy. But, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the Department of Labor, mining is only a minor contributor to annual on-the-job fatalities. Take a look at the BLS's Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries [PDF] from 1992 to 2002.
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) was updated to include data from 2004 [PDF], and includes state-by-state data, as well. In 2004, according to the BLS, mining accounted for only 2.7 percent, or 152, of fatal occupational injuries. To put that into perspective, construction accounted for 22.2 percent, with 1,268 deaths, while 2.1 percent (or 117) of fatal occupational injuries that year were attributed to the "financial activities" industry.
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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible.
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