West Virginia mine had history of safety problems [View all]

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

WHARTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two miners who were killed on the job Monday night worked in a coalfield that had so many safety problems federal officials deemed it a "pattern violator," a rare designation reserved for the industry's worst offenders.

Brody Mine No. 1 was one of only three mines last year to earn the label that regulators have put greater emphasis on since the 2010 Upper Big Branch explosion killed 29 miners about 10 miles away.

The designation subjects the mine to greater scrutiny from regulators, and it's the strongest tool the Mine Safety and Health Administration has, said Kevin Stricklin, the agency's administrator of coal mine safety and health.

"We just do not have the ability or authority to shut a mine just because it has so many violations," Stricklin told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140513/mine_accident-west_virginia-c9aa65eebd.html

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Map locates site of a mine accident in Wharton, West Virginia; 1c x 1 3/4 inches; 46.5 mm x 44 mm;