12, January 2006 Mine
safety
It is tragic that the fatalities that occurred at Sago Mines could
have been averted if strict safety standards had been enforced. According to
the Center for Responsive Politics, coal companies gave a staggering $9 million
to mostly republican candidates. $15 million was cut from mine safety and
corporate interest leaders were placed in key positions in the Mine Safety and
Health Administration.
In 2002, Bush named
former Massey Energy official Stanley Suboleski to the MSHA review commission
that decides all legal matters under the Federal Mine Act. Massey Energy is one of
the largest coal companies in the U.S and has been cited for numerous
violations. The current head of MSHA, Richard Stickler, was appointed by Bush
last September. Stickler is a former manager of Beth Energy mines.
Sago mine was forced
to suspend operations 16 times in 2005 after failing to comply with safety
rules. The fines that the company paid were extremely low, from $60 to $250
dollars.
Government documents
also show a high rate of accidents at Sago. 42 workers and contractors have
been injured in accidents since 2000 and the average number of working days
lost because of accidents in the past five years was nearly double the national
average for underground coal mines.
Once again, the
Legislative Branch failed to exercise their oversight duties and have
capitulated to the White House who compromise safety and health concerns to
reward their corporate benefactors.
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