Durbin Steps Up Call for Review of Mine Safety Records
DURBIN STEPS UP CALL FOR REVIEW OF MINE SAFETY RECORDS
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent letters to the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) asking them to look into two issues - the impact funding cuts for mine safety inspections have had on mine safety in Illinois and elsewhere, and a status report on safety conditions at all of Illinois' mines.
In his letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Durbin wrote "I am greatly concerned that the oversight of coal mine safety in Illinois and across the nation has been compromised due to budget cuts which have reduced the number of safety inspectors at a time of burgeoning coal mining activity. I hope that your department plans to quickly address this issue for the benefit of coal miners in my state and across the nation . . . I respectfully request information as to why your department requested a decrease in funding for mine safety inspections, and what effect those cuts had on safety oversight, inspection frequency, and compliance in Illinois."
Durbin said President Bush has proposed cuts to the federal coal safety inspection budget in four of the five years he has been in office. Analysts say that those reduced budget numbers have accounted for the loss of 130 mine inspectors since 2000.
Earlier this week, Durbin wrote to state and federal agencies responsible for overseeing mine safety asking them to address safety conditions at the Viper Mine in Williamsville, Illinois which has been cited for 124 safety violations, 42 of which carried a "significant and substantial" risk of death or injury. Durbin also sent a similar letter to the owners of the Viper Mine, the International Coal Group (ICG). ICG also owns the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, West Virginia where 12 miners lost their lives.
In his letter to MSHA today, Durbin asked for a comprehensive review of all 18 underground and nine surface mines currently operating in Illinois. Durbin wrote "[T]he coal industry still remains a dangerous occupation in the new millennium. Since 1993, there have been 471 coal mining fatalities in 20 states, and the injury rate far exceeds that of most other industries . . .Your agency has been tasked with acting as the guardian of safety for America's coal miners. I respectfully request that you provide me a safety status report on all of Illinois' mines. In addition, with new mines beginning operations in Illinois, please provide detailed information as to whether your agency has sufficient resources and inspectors with which to conduct proper oversight of all the mines in Illinois."
On January 2, 2006 an explosion trapped 13 men in a West Virginia coal mine resulting in the death of 12 of the 13 workers. Last year, the operators of that mine received 205 citations for health and safety violations, 96 of which were "significant and substantial" according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. In 2005 the mine was forced to halt operations 16 times after failing to comply with safety rules.
The text of each letter appears below:
January 12, 2006
Elaine Chao
Secretary
U.S. Department of Labor
Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210
Dear Secretary Chao:
I am writing to you regarding mine safety inspectors. I am concerned that budget cuts have resulted in an inadequate number of Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors.
Funding for MSHA has been cut in the President's budget in four of the last five years. Due to these cuts, MSHA has witnessed a decrease of 170 staff positions since 2001, 130 of which are mine inspectors. Meanwhile, the coal industry has undergone a recent resurgence, as the price of coal has risen from $30 to $57 per ton since 2003. Coal mining activity, consequently, has increased substantially. For example, in my home state of Illinois, three mines began new operations in 2005, and three new mines are scheduled to begin operations in 2006, bringing Illinois' total of active mines from 18 in 2004 to 24 by the end of 2006.
I am greatly concerned that the oversight of coal mine safety in Illinois and across the nation has been compromised due to budget cuts which have reduced the number of safety inspectors at a time of burgeoning coal mining activity. I hope that your department plans to quickly address this issue for the benefit of coal miners in my state and across the nation. Safety oversight of coal mines in the form of increased inspectors and inspections is one of the greatest tools available to protect coal miners from injuries and fatalities.
I respectfully request information as to why your department requested a decrease in funding for mine safety inspections, and what effect those cuts had on safety oversight, inspection frequency, and compliance in Illinois. In addition, please provide your department's plans for future funding of mine safety inspectors.
I thank you for your time and attention to this issue, and I look forward to hearing from your department within the next month.
Sincerely,
Richard Durbin
United States Senator
January 12, 2006
David G. Dye
Acting Administrator
Mine Safety and Health Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
1100 Wilson Boulevard, 21st Floor
Arlington, VA 22209-3939
Dear Administrator Dye:
As a follow-up to my letter of January 8th regarding the safety record of Viper Coal Mine in Williamson, Illinois, I am writing to you to determine the safety status of all of the coal mines currently operating in the state. It is my understanding that new mines will become operational in 2006, bringing the total number of mines in the state to 24, up from 18 in 2004.
The coal industry is vital to the economy of the state of Illinois. In 2004, 18 coal mines produced over 32 million tons of coal with just 3,252 employees. Compared to 1930, when 185 Illinois mines produced 52 million tons of coal with over 51,000 employees, it is clear that the 21st Century Illinois coal miner is extremely productive and highly skilled. However, the coal industry still remains a dangerous occupation in the new millennium. Since 1993, there have been 471 coal mining fatalities in 20 states, and the injury rate far exceeds that of most other industries. Clearly, the safety environment in which coal miners operates has not risen to the level of what most Americans would expect in the 21st Century.
Your agency has been tasked with acting as the guardian of safety for America's coal miners. I respectfully request that you provide me a safety status report on all of Illinois' mines. In addition, with new mines beginning operations in Illinois, please provide detailed information as to whether your agency has sufficient resources and inspectors with which to conduct proper oversight of all the mines in Illinois.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me or my office if I can be of any assistance, as I trust you will not hesitate to request sufficient resources with which to fulfill your oversight functions.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
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