4/14/2010
Gov. Joe Manchin is asking West Virginia’s underground mine operators to cease production for one day this Friday, April 16, 2010, in honor of the coal miners lost and injured in the April 5 Upper Big Branch Mine explosion and to review each mine’s safety measures.
The “Day of Honor and Mourning” gives the operators, miners and the state the opportunity to focus solely on mine safety while mourning for the fallen coal miners, Manchin said. “I am asking every underground mine operator and miner to go to work on that day and commit to one day focused completely on making their workplace as safe as possible in honor of the miners we lost at Upper Big Branch. No other family should experience the loss that the UBB families are experiencing.”
Gov. Manchin said he’s not asking for a day just to stop production – he is asking for operators and employees to focus strictly on safety measures they’ve been taught and on safety inspections during their regular work shifts.
The governor today has entered an executive order stating that immediate action is warranted to identify and remedy conditions in underground coal mines in the state that create a risk of combustion or explosion. The order specifically encourages each operator of an active underground coal mine in West Virginia to cease production for one day to engage in a thorough review of safety procedures and to take whatever actions are needed to ensure the mine’s compliance with health and safety standards. In addition, the governor has ordered immediate state inspections of underground mines, with the priority being the mines that have had the greatest number of violations for combustion risks.
“Mine health and safety laws are in place to protect our coal miners, but it’s clear that a breakdown occurred and we lost 29 miners who should be with us today,” Manchin said.
“While the state and federal investigations of this horrific accident will be carried out the next several months, I strongly believe that stopping production to focus specifically on mine safety gives our mines and their employees the opportunity to identify problems that need corrected immediately.
“I’m also directing our state mine safety inspectors to turn their attention to mine ventilation, rock dusting and electrical equipment issues that could pose a hazard. They’ll start with the mines that have been cited repeatedly for these combustion risks during the last year and take immediate steps to ensure compliance with the law.”
Contact Information
Jama Jarrett or Melvin Smith
304-558-2000