There’s an article in the NY Times on Mine Safety that discusses some issues that may not be familiar to those who don’t live in mining states/areas.

As I mentioned previously, the fines that mine operators in violation pay, are often far less than the costs of fixing the violations. And eve worse, according to the Times article, some mines don’t even bother to pay the small fines that they receive.

Additionally, MSHA inspectors are supposed to be able to close mines that are in serious violation, yet, according to a report I heard on WV Public Radio, MSHA inspectors have been discouraged from closing down mines. According to the NY Times the Sago mine had “16 blatant violations that were considered immediate hazards to miners safety” (The times article lists the Sago violations at 202 for last year. West Virginia public radio lists the violations at 208.) This shift under the Bush administration was also mentioned in several reports on West Virginia Public Radio. (See here. No idea how long the page will last.)

Additionally, the Charleston Gazette talks about MSHA lapses regarding the Mine Rescue system.

Every coal mine in the country is supposed to have at least two teams, either on site or on contract nearby. As of 2004, there was only one team for every four underground coal mines in the country. (Charleston Gazette)

Why is the important?

The explosion was around 6:30 a.m. At 1:30 p.m., the first rescue team was still waiting outside the mine. Safety rules prevent one team from entering until a back-up team is standing by. The second team did not arrive until after 5:30 p.m. (Charleston Gazette)

The thread that runs through most of the reports I’ve heard recently has been that it doesn’t matter that mining is a dangerous occupation, in many areas it’s the only occupation that pays a decent salary. And when you have people who are desperate for decent paying jobs, you are at risk for other sorts of problems.

According to the NY Times, “workers who complain about unsafe conditions are sometimes fired or penalized.”

Think about that for a bit. We’re talking about a job where people put their lives at risk. Where people still die every year extracting coal from the ground.

Safety regulations are there to save lives. Let’s hope that this disaster helps people to realize that regulatory agencies are important for a reason.