Make Mining Healthier, Safer
By the News-RegisterWe believe firmly in the "clean coal" approach to a national energy policy. But in using more of it to meet America's fuel needs, a second requirement - safe coal - needs to be a top priority.
Fortunately, many others share that philosophy. Among those doing excellent, necessary work to improve safety in coal mines is this area's own Wheeling Jesuit University.
Officials from the mining industry, government and institutions of higher learning and research are involved in an important meeting this week in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the third annual International Mining Health and Safety Symposium, organized by WJU. A key figure in the movement is J. Davitt McAteer, the university's vice president for sponsored programs. McAteer has international standing because of his work on mine safety and health and the fact that he is a former assistant secretary of labor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The choice of Salt Lake City for the conference was an obvious one - unfortunately, because it is located near the site of a terrible mine disaster last year. Six miners and three men trying to rescue them died in the Crandall Canyon, Utah tragedy last August.
One noteworthy aspect of the WJU initiative is that it is non-confrontational. McAteer and others involved recognize that mine health and safety is a priority not just for government regulators, academics and miners themselves - but also for the coal industry. The conferences bring mine safety and health experts - as well as those who want to learn more - together to focus on best practices, new research and, yes, the many challenges that need to be addressed.
Obviously, we're proud of the local university's role in mine safety and health initiatives. But we are even more proud of the fact that McAteer and WJU seem to have no agenda other than making coal mines safer and healthier for those who work there. That cannot be said for all who become involved with the issue, unfortunately.
We pay tribute to WJU and all of those involved in its campaign, then - and we urge them to work hard and together to make their labors successful. America needs to be a leader in both methods of using coal cleanly - and in safeguarding those who mine it.
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Blackrock
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07-25-08 6:12 PM
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Das. you are right. I probably know him. 20 years is good enough for me.
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DasBoot
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07-24-08 6:09 PM
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I know my dad put in 20 years for Consol before switching over. I'd say he was able to cut it to last that long.
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Blackrock
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07-24-08 5:39 PM
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You're correct Das and just about every one of them could't cut it so went to work for Uncle Sam.
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DasBoot
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07-24-08 4:54 PM
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I happen to know that the majority of "suits" at the St. Clairsville MSHA offense started their careers in the local mining industry, as miners, and then transferred to an inspectors job. That's not the case everywhere, but from first-hand experience, in St. Clairsville, I know this to be true.
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Blackrock
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07-24-08 11:51 AM
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Uncommon, you are right on with your opinion. After years of dealing with MSHA, I can tell you that they are staffed with personnel who could not or were not willing to make it in the industry. I even had a senior official tell me that safety wasn't his job, the enforcement of laws was. And by the way, he had zero practical experience. Now MSHA has many,many new inspectors who have zero experience. You know what to exoect.
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Georgetwin
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07-24-08 10:28 AM
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If we can build Oil Platforms that DID NOT leak oil during Katrina, WE CAN develop Enviro-Friendly Coal Mining Technology.
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UNCOMMONSENSE
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07-24-08 10:27 AM
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MSHA is your typical overpaid underworked Government agency. MSHA may take 10 years to come up with a safety procedure even if it has bee PROVEN to work! I have found that in engineering you MUST have MUCH more input from the people you are trying to accomodate. A building full of suits, skirts, and engineers that spend their entire lives in a squeaky clean air conditioned office haven't got a CLUE as to what a coal miner endures every day of HIS life. Only the man underground can tell you what he needs in order to work safely and be more productive.
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DasBoot
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07-24-08 7:01 AM
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Yes, yes we should
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DasBoot
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07-24-08 7:01 AM
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Yes, yes we should
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beanranch
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07-24-08 12:29 AM
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Yes, plenty of criticism for China and India. But since they have only recently joined the Industrial Revolution, it may take them some time to rise to our high standards. In the meantime however, should we continue to pollute just because other countries do?
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DasBoot
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07-23-08 8:25 PM
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Oh, and global warming is a farce.
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DasBoot
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07-23-08 8:25 PM
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Probably, because China and India are not overrun by environmentalists. They aren't concerned with that aspect of it. They are concerned with the almight yen, or forgive me, I forget what is used in India. Keeping it clean is great idea, but the extremes this country goes to are often times counterproductive.
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Katabatic
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07-23-08 7:24 PM
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Any criticism for China or India, or are we the only nation required by law to obey pollution standards ?
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Katabatic
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07-23-08 6:43 PM
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What about the "dirty" coal mined in the US, sent to China and India, and burned without any anti-pollution device like scrubbers, contributing to the pollution and global warming of this planet ?
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DasBoot
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07-23-08 5:51 PM
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Here's a thought. Want to get a good grip on increasing mine safety. How about asking a bunch of actual miners what they think would help?
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Blackrock
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07-23-08 11:54 AM
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You're wrong on this one. McAteer has one agenda and that is the good of McAteer. The symposiums at WJU were full of anti-coal activists with little if no participation from industry. In fact, industry reps were not even invited. McAteer's career at MSHA was a failure. He is a lawyer with no practical coal mine experience.
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