Looks like this mine had 46 safety violations during their last inspection, several which are still unabated, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. A few were for combustible material build-up. I've been watching the AP writethrus come in on this one from earlier this morning. But the AP hasn't mentioned this mine's safety records yet. So I found out for myself.
That number is down from about 70 during the summer inspection. I'm not sure how the numbers or violations at this mine compare to other mines, ie, if that's a normal number of violations or not.
Comparing it to some other West Virginia mines, it seems kinda of high, but again, I just don't know. Anker West Virginia Mining Company Inc. has been the operator since 1/11/2002, according to the MSHA. In 2005, they were fined just under 25,000 dollars for violations. The next highest year for fines was 2001, before Anker took over.
Other W. Va. mine accidents
"The deadliest coal mining disaster in U.S. history was an explosion in 1907 in Monongah in Marion County that killed 362 people," according to the Associated Press.
Marion County had another deadly mine accident in the '60s, not far from Monongah, just outside a town called Mannington. On Nov. 20, 1968, methane gas was ignited at the Farmington No. 9 mine. Out of the 99 working the midnight shift into the early morning there, only 21made it out alive. Of those who died, the remains of 19 are entombed underground when the mine was permanently sealed in 1978. Their deaths led directly to many of the safety regulations in the industry today.
Blogs blogging the explosion (mostly AP rehashes):
-Spark It Up!!!
-Explicitly Ambiguous
-The Daily Brief
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