MSHA Warns 16 Mining Firms on Safety

By Tim Huber

Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration officials said Thursday they told 16 U.S. mining companies they have patterns of violating health and safety rules and warned them to clean up their acts or face heightened enforcement.

All but two of the companies operate coal mines or processing plants, the majority of them in Kentucky and West Virginia, MSHA said. Also receiving warnings were a Kentucky limestone operation and a Michigan iron ore mine.

“Repeated safety and health violations by mine operators will not be tolerated,” MSHA Director Richard Stickler said in a statement.

This is the third time in the past year that MSHA has singled out mines with patterns of serious violations.

Seven of eight operations notified last June reduced their serious-violation rate by an average of 50 percent within months, according to MSHA. The eighth closed.

Another 20 operations targeted in December cut their violation rates an average of 65 percent, MSHA said.

However, two mines on the latest list are owned by companies with mines targeted previously by MSHA.

A spokesman for one of them, Massey Energy Co., said the company expects to fix problems at its Rockhouse Energy Mining Co.’s Mine No. 1 in Eastern Kentucky. Richmond, Va.-based Massey is the nation’s fourth-largest producer by revenue and operates mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.

“On the other potential pattern of violations that we’ve gotten in the past, we’ve worked through those issues,” spokesman Jeff Gillenwater said. “We’ll work with MSHA to go through any of their concerns. We’ll definitely take any corrective actions.”

Richmond, Va.-based James River Coal Co. did not return a request for comment. Its Blue Diamond Coal Co.’s No. 75 Mine in Kentucky is among the latest operations targeted by MSHA. James River also operates mines in Southern Indiana.

A third large operator with a mine on the list, Tulsa, Okla.- based Alliance Resource Partners, also did not respond to a request for comment. MSHA is targeting a Kentucky mine operated by the company’s Excel Mining subsidiary.

Mines on the latest list were picked by the number of violations that could lead to serious injury or illness during the past two years. Mines on the list must review and comment on the violations and develop plans for correcting problems.

If a mine greatly reduces the rate of significant and substantial violations during an ensuing 90-day monitoring period, MSHA says the operator will not receive a notification of a pattern of violations.

MSHA can temporarily halt work at mines that don’t reduce the number of serious violations.

The federal action comes as coal mining fatalities are increasing in the United States. As of June 16, 15 coal miners had died in 2008, compared with six by the same time last year.

The trend prompted MSHA, the National Mining Association, the Bituminous Coal Operators’ Association and the United Mine Workers union to send a safety letter to mine operators, miners and contractors Thursday.

“With a joint effort by all to refocus on safety, a repeat of these accidents could be prevented,” the letter said. “We are urging everyone to maintain a focus on safety by trying to anticipate hazards and, most importantly, thinking before acting and avoiding shortcuts.”

Originally published by The Associated Press.

(c) 2008 Charleston Gazette, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.