Two Former W.Va. Miners Commit Suicide (something smells..

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Mine-Explosion-Suicides.html

September 26, 2006
Two Former W.Va. Miners Commit Suicide
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 2:57 p.m. ET

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Two miners whose jobs included watching over safety at the Sago Mine before the deadly explosion last January committed suicide in the past month.

Neither man had been blamed for the disaster that killed 12 of their comrades, and neither one's family has definitively linked the suicides to the accident. But those who knew the men say there is little doubt the tragedy haunted them.

..more at link...

[KT2000]

1. there is a documentary on

Free Speech TV about a mine disaster in Nova Scotia in the early 1990's that is exceptional. Also in that event, the aftermath of the explosion and deaths left many with difficulties.
It is really an eye opener.
Sorry I don't have the title but should you run across it, well worth your time.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Something doesn't sound right...

"Boni, who was certified as a fireboss and occasionally conducted pre-shift inspections to ensure the safety of incoming crews, told investigators he had detected low levels of methane in that area five days earlier and reported his findings to a supervisor, who was not alarmed.

As for Chisholm, he told investigators that a carbon monoxide alarm had sounded about 20 minutes before the explosion. Following ICG procedure, he alerted a crew inside the mine and asked it to verify the alarm because the system that had a history of malfunctions.

At a hearing in May, ICG executive Sam Kitts said miners are not required to evacuate when there is an alarm; they verify it, then decide how to proceed."

[rsmith6621]

3. More Casulties Of the Bush Administration

They Cut The Funding for Mine Saftey..... Ya Know......

[Judi Lynn]

4. Here's the same story from a non-subscription sourc: ABC

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2494060&page=1

What a damnable shame.

Apparently all that matters is the company gets maximum profits all the time forever, and god help anyone who would stand it its way.

We've heard since this catastrophe that the conditions in U.S. mines are wildly atiquated, and well surpassed by other companies elsewhere. Only the miners are at risk for the decisions by the mine owners and their crooks in Washington.

[lived it]

10. Miners

I have worked in the mines for over 29 years. Your response is without knowledge of the subject. Unless you have been there you have NO RIGHT to comment on what it is like to work with the brave people in this industry. That includes the management who gives a real crap on getting everyone out at the end of the shift.

Look at the safety record over the years. SAGO was a freak accident.

[tabasco]

13. LMAO! Are you one of the owners?

Are you trying to say that all mine owners always place safety over profits??

LMAO!!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-01-04-mine-violations_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

The increase in mine safety is because of LAWS that force owners to provide safety measures.

THAT IS HISTORICAL TRUTH.

Now those laws are being weakened by the laissez-faire republcans, resulting in more mine danger.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F17F83C550C718CDDAA0894DE404482

[lived it]

21. One of the Owners?

You have no clue what the citations account for. Unless you have been there done it, you have no idea. Your posting USA and the Times is one-sided. Take the time and really look into what happened. It was truely a freak accident. It was in an area that was sealed off, gob was all that was in the sealed area. A lightning strike hit and caused the explosion.

[Marie26]

39. Here is the safety record:

What was Sago’s accident rate and how does it compare to other mines?

Sago’s accident rate was 17.04 for 2005, with 16 miners and contractors injured on the job. Sago’s accident rate was 15.90 in 2004 when the national average was 5.66.

Compare this accident rate to another small mine in West Virginia , Kingston Mining No. 1 Mine, which had and accident rate of 1.21 in 2005.
Other West Virginia mines with lower than average accident rates in 2005 include: Blacksville No. 2 with a rate of 4.41;

Robinson Run Mine No. 95 with an accident rate of 3.93;

Mingo Logan Mountaineer Alma A Mine with a rate of 3.08;

Loveridge Mine No. 22 with an accident rate of 5.62;

Federal No. 2 Mine with an accident rate of 5.67; and

Harris No. 1 Mine with an accident rate of 3.93.

While this list does not encompass all of West Virginia mines, it gives you an idea of Sago’s record."


The Sago Mines had an accident rate THREE TIMES higher than the national average.


What is the breakdown of Sago’s violations? How bad were they?

The numbers above showed you a comparison of Sago’s accident record to other mines.

A breakdown of MSHA’s citation record for Sago shows the following for 2005:

205 citations and orders.

2 – 103 (k) orders (issued by MSHA when accidents occur).
181 – 104(a) citations (a citation is issued with a reasonable abatement time).
96 of these citations were “significant and substantial” (Likely to cause injury or death).
1 - 104(b) citations (issued for a previous citation/safety violation that had not yet been corrected).
1 - 104(d)(1) unwarrantable failure citation (issued when there is an unwarrantable failure to comply with a mandatory safety or health standard).
2 – 104(d)(1) orders (issued to withdraw miners from a section of the mine where dangerous conditions exist).
13 – 104(d)(2) orders (issued for violations similar to those that resulted in the issuance of the withdrawal order under 104(d)(1). These are extremely serious and can lead to a “special investigation” resulting in charges against mine supervisors, foremen, and the mine operator, including criminal proceedings."

http://www.minesafety.com/pages/sagominefacts.html

Despite these numerous citations & accidents, the Sago Mines were allowed to operate without any significant penalties from the federal Mine Safety & Health Administration.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Binka]

32. You Scared Our Little Miner

:toast:

[Judi Lynn]

30. Not everyone agrees with you, as you undoubtedly have to know.

Food for thought:

Published on Saturday, January 14, 2006 by ReclaimDemocracy.org
Criminal Negligence Killed the Sago Miners
by Jeff Milchen

In the aftermath of the Sago mine disaster, the Bush Administration issued familiar and predictable promises to conduct a full investigation and take “necessary steps to ensure that this never happens again.”

Administration officials could learn a lot about improving mine safety by talking with any miner for just a few minutes. But the most crucial step to prevent tragedies like Sago has little to do with the specifics of mining -- it involves changing the cost-benefit analysis made by corporate executives in workplace safety decisions.

Consider the decisions by managers of the Sago mine, which received more than 200 citations last year from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the federal agency charged with enforcing safety compliance. These were not minor infractions; in the last quarter of 2005, inspectors cited 18 “serious and substantial” violations capable of causing major injuries or deaths. Not surprisingly, Sago's accident rate tripled the national average and more than a dozen serious roof falls -- in which huge slabs of the mine roof simply collapsed -- were recorded last year. Many citations were for violating ventilation standards that exist specifically to prevent explosions like that which doomed Sago's victims.

“This mine should have been closed… the record is very clear,” says Jack Spadaro, former director of the National Mine Safety and Health Academy.

Instead, MSHA continued issuing fines and the managers at then-owner Anker Mining Co. simply wrote them off as a cost of doing business on the cheap. It made perfect sense for the corporation's bottom line; the fines for those 205 violations total about $25,000. This was a pittance to Anker, never mind International Coal Group (ICG), which bought the Sago mine last November. ICG's most recent quarterly earnings were $158 million, meaning the average fine levied in 2005 -- about $150 -- equals a few seconds of income. Such "enforcement" has a deterrent effect akin to punishing drunk driving with fines of a few nickels.
(snip/...)

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0114-20.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some safety record.

[wicket]

37. One question:

Did you order a pizza?

[Marie26]

38. Oh baloney

The Sago Mines were purchased by a bottom-feeder who buys struggling industries in order to resell them to foreign interests. He had NO INTEREST in creating long-term safety measures for the miners. The mines were notoriously unsafe, had high accident rates, and received hundreds of safety citations from the state & federal mining boards. A whole section had collapsed shortly before the disaster. But, the Bush Ad. had gutted mine regulations, and did nothing to enforce safety laws. The mine's owner had friends in high places in WV state gov., so the state gov. didn't do anything either. The Sago Mines was not unionized, and miners had no one to speak out for their interests. So those miners were sent down into an unstable mine, with improper equipment, antiquated communication systems, and inadequate safety measures. THAT'S why those miners died. Even after the miners were trapped, four of the miners' emergency oxygen packs actually FAILED. It's inexcusable.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Why am I thinking Karen Silkwood?

.
.
.

[Speaker]

6. Bingo

Two guys who aren't going to be exposing any prior problems.

Yep. It was a total accident without any warnings whatsoever.

[Speaker]

7. And...

How did they off themselves? Seven shots to the back of the head with a six shot revolver?

[davsand]

9. I also wondered if they'd been "suicided."

I do realize how much very much emotional trauma they suffered with that disaster, but I honestly wondered when I heard that story if somebody had killed them to cover up liability for those miners' deaths.

My deepest sympathies to all the families and friends touched by this disaster--both then and now. How very tragic it is...


Laura

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

23. an A$$ for considering murder rather than suicide?

Everyone is wishing the best for those involved, and for people to get the help they need. Why are you so angry about this?

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

27. That is what I am giving, little respect.

I think the :sarcasm: thing was forgotten.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lived it]

11. Why are you thinking Silkwood?

Because you have no clue of this business and the people that work in it.

[Bridget Burke]

33. Please, share some of your knowledge with us.

Your cryptic remarks aren't helping your credibility.

[Drum]

24. I'm thinking "Matewan"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093509/

Same ole story: follow the $$$

[ConcernedCanuk]

44. That movie was made 30 years ago, exact;ly

.
.
.

I used to have it on tape for over 2 decades - great movie, - I believe Kevin Tighe was one of the "enforcers" from the mining company.

Sad, tho

Looks like the US ain't changed all that much since the 30's . . . .

and I mean the 1830's

The robber barons still rule

[cmd]

8. My heart goes out to the families

coalminersdaughter

[Omaha Steve]

14. 2 workers from Sago Mine have shot themselves

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006092513

2 workers from Sago Mine have shot themselves

Deaths raise fears about emotional toll from disaster

By Ken Ward Jr.
Staff writer

Two key figures in January’s disaster at the Sago Mine in Upshur County have taken their own lives in the last three weeks, police and other officials have confirmed.

Their deaths have family and friends of surviving Sago miners and mine rescuers — along with mine safety advocates — concerned about the emotional toll of the Jan. 2 mine tragedy.

“We need to recognize that this is a serious problem,” said Davitt McAteer, Gov. Joe Manchin’s special adviser on mine safety and the state’s top Sago investigator.

Mine dispatcher William Chisolm and John Nelson Boni, a fireboss, shot themselves in separate incidents, authorities said.

FULL story at link above.

[blue neen]

15. That's so very sad.

Survivors often blame themselves. These guys really needed help.

[brook]

20. Help?

Not in this country. Nor do I know where. Corporate greed is worldwide...and has always been so.
Everyone else is expendable. I know nothing of biology - but I'm willing to bet there is a species more compassionate than homo sapiens.

I can only hope these victims have found a peace they never found in a coal mine.

[applegrove]

42. The pain was likely temporary. Maybe they couldn't afford the right

health care. They have great drugs for PTSD these days. Very sad.

[applegrove]

16. Imagine if they didn't have a gun handy for that moment of pain. They'd

still be alive.


How terrible.

[Irreverend IX]

18. Imagine if gun-grabbers didn't try to exploit tragedies...

To further their vote-losing agenda. And what makes you so sure those guys wouldn't have found another means of suicide?

[uppityperson]

19. Imagine they didn't have any knives handy. Or aspirin.

Or water. Or a car. Or alcohol. Or a bridge.

[krispos42]

31. Fascinating...

Once again, there is a significant pool of people out there who thinks that owning a gun makes a person a) homicidal, b) suicidal, or c) criminally inclined.

And if you own a military-looking rifle, you are also automatically either d) in an anti-government militia, or e) a xenophobe in the Minuteman.

Would you be happier if he had slammed his car into a bridge column at 110 mph without a seatbelt? At least if he had done it that way his family might get some life insurance money out of it. Or if he had hanged himself by jumping down a stairwell with a rope around his neck?

Look, this person was very depressed by events that he felt he failed his fellow miners on. I don't agree with his decision to end his life because he was not facing a terminal disease or anything like that, and he should have sought counseling. This crushing depression I would think would be mostly temporary, something that after a few months or a year would fade enough to be bearable and livable.

[uppityperson]

17. My condolences and that is really sad.

[pkz]

25. on my local news

these guys both got bad level readings right before the "freak accident"

http://www.wdtv.com/news/local/4239101.html

[Judi Lynn]

29. Thanks for the link. Very interesting.

Welcome to D.U., pkz.

[pkz]

35. Monongah???

are you kiddin'?

me too, we are probably related. Seriously.

Thanks for the welcome, have been reading here for a long time and finally decided to register.

[MountainLaurel]

40. No, not kidding.

Was just there a couple weekends ago to visit my family before I move from D.C. to Maine. Once you have enough posts to receive private messages, I'll check in and make sure we aren't related. (-:

:toast:

[MountainLaurel]

34. Welcome to DU!

Especially since WDTV is your local news -- I grew up in Monongah, in Marion County.

:hi:

[Marie26]

36. How tragic. nt

[shortcake]

41. Sago counseling money unused

The Manchin administration has yet to start spending a federal grant approved five months ago meant to help provide counseling to residents struggling with the lingering trauma of the Sago Mine disaster.

Federal officials approved the $35,000 grant in April, but the state has not released the funding to the Appalachian Community Mental Health Center in Elkins.

“We’re not sure where it is,” said Richard Kiley, a licensed psychologist and director of the Elkins center.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006092625

[ConcernedCanuk]

43. When ya got a wannabe cowboy on a pigfarm for a CIC - whaddya expect?

.
.
.

AWOL to boot . .

never served a minute of his life "in country"

but he's running your "grunts"

Commander in Chief, indeed -

George W has fallen to the pressures of his Pappy and his PNAC gang and has facilited the ruination of the USA as a a respected country across the globe

Well done you PNACers!

Now the USA is the most hated and mistrusted nation on the globe . . .

Someone try to convince me I'm wrong . . . .

I sure wish I am . .

But I fear not . .

(sigh)