I think this was alluded to briefly in another diary, but this statistic is so eye-popping that it merits its own diary.
The Sago Mine--where an explosion has 13 miners trapped--probably had no business being open.
A coal mine where 13 miners were trapped after an explosion Monday was cited 208 times over alleged safety violations in 2005, up from just 68 citations the year before.
Federal regulators' allegations against the Sago Mine included failure to dilute coal dust, which can lead to explosions, and failure to properly operate and maintain machinery, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Ninety-six of the citations were considered "significant and substantial" by inspectors.
Ay caramba. How in the world did things go downhill so fast in one year? Even if you allow for this administration's gutting of mine safety regulations, this is stunning.
The owners' response?
An official with the International Coal Group, which has owned the mine since March, said the Labor Department could have closed the mine if it were deemed unsafe.
"We think that we were operating a safe mine. We have no real clue about what triggered this explosion or whatever happened today," ICG Senior Vice President Gene Kitts said.
Sounds to me that they're throwing up their hands--after all, CNN just reported that 168 of those safety violations happened since April.
It gets even worse--state regulators have had a field day here with this mine's safety record.
The state Office of Miners' Health Safety & Training, which inspects underground mines four times each year, issued 144 notices of violation at Sago last year, compared to 74 in 2004, officials said.
Chances are those safety issues may have cost rescuers precious seconds--they had to wait 12 hours for dangerous gases to clear.
The more I read this, the more I feel for those guys down there.
