Tag: Mine Safety

Don Blankenship, Now A Democrat, Files To Run For U.S. Senate

Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, was convicted of violating federal mine safety law in a 2016 trial. Twenty-nine miners at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine were killed in 2010.

Convicted coal executive Don Blankenship has filed to run for U.S. Senate – as a Democrat.

The filing appeared Friday on the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website.

Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, was convicted of violating federal mine safety law in a 2015 trial. Twenty-nine miners at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine were killed in 2010.

Blankenship tried unsuccessfully to appeal his conviction. He served a year in prison. He ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican in 2018 and for president in 2020 on the Constitution Party ticket.

Two other Democrats have filed to run this year to succeed U.S. Sen Joe Manchin, who’s not seeking re-election. They are Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott and Marine Corps veteran Zach Shrewsbury.

The winner will face either Republican Gov. Jim Justice or Republican Rep. Alex Mooney in November. 

MSHA Rule Aims At Leading Causes Of Fatal Injuries To Mine Workers

The Mine Safety and Health Administration will require mine operators to have written safety programs for mobile equipment used in surface and underground operations.

Federal mine safety regulators have announced a new rule aimed at cutting down the leading causes of fatal injuries to workers.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration will require mine operators to have written safety programs for mobile equipment used in surface and underground operations.

Machinery and powered haulage have become the leading cause of serious and fatal accidents in all types of mining.

According to MSHA statistics, 26 workers have sustained fatal injuries industry wide this year from mobile equipment. In the coal sector, six were killed this year, including two in West Virginia.

In one instance, a worker was thrown off a bulldozer. In another case, a worker was pinned by a personnel carrier that rolled backward and overturned.

Chris Williamson, the assistant secretary for Mine Safety and Health, says he’d like to see mine operators make training a priority and eliminate hazards that can put worker safety at risk.

The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday.

A separate MSHA rule to lower miners’ exposure to silica dust is due to roll out in April. Silica dust has worsened black lung cases and caused the disease to affect younger miners.

Second Worker Dies In Kentucky Coal Mine Prep Plant Collapse

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the worker’s death on social media Friday afternoon.

A second man has died in the collapse of a building at an idled coal preparation plant in Eastern Kentucky.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the worker’s death on social media Friday afternoon.

“This is a heartbreaking situation and I hope everyone will join Britainy and me in praying for the families of these two workers and this entire community,” Beshear posted Friday on X, formerly Twitter.

Lon Lafferty, the Martin County executive, identified the men as Billy Ray Daniels and Alvin Nees.

Rescuers found Nees’ body on Friday.

Both workers became trapped in the wreckage of the Martin County Mine Prep Plant on Tuesday evening.

Daniels was alive when rescuers found him, but he died of his injuries before they could free him.

Both men were in the process of salvaging the 11-story building when it collapsed on them.

Rescue workers from around Kentucky were involved in the search.

1 Dead, 1 Missing In Eastern Kentucky Coal Prep Plant Collapse

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a declaration of emergency in Martin County, and rescue teams were working to locate the missing worker.

This story was updated on Nov. 2, 2023, with a quote from a Martin County official.

One man is dead and another man is missing after a coal tipple collapsed Tuesday night in Martin County, Kentucky, on the border with West Virginia.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced the worker’s death on social media on Wednesday morning. Beshear signed a declaration of emergency in Martin County, and rescue teams were working to locate the missing worker.

“Please pray for the family and loved ones of this individual,” Beshear said on social media of the worker who died.

The 11-story building at the Martin County Mine Prep Plant collapsed around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a statement from Kentucky Emergency Management.

The workers became trapped under tons of steel and concrete.

Local officials said the prep plant had been idle and the workers were salvaging it.

State officials said rescue workers and emergency responders were being deployed from Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky and the Kentucky National Guard.

Lon Lafferty, the county executive, said he was still hoping to have good news to share on Thursday.

“It remains a rescue operation as of this morning, at this time, and we pray that those efforts will be successful.”

The names of the workers have not been released. It isn’t clear what caused the collapse of the structure.

Mine Agency To Hold Hearing In Raleigh County On Silica Dust Exposure

The hearing will start at 9 a.m. on Aug. 10 at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Road in Beaver.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration will hold a hearing next week in Raleigh County on the proposed limit for silica dust exposure in coal mines.

The hearing will start at 9 a.m. on Aug. 10 at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Road in Beaver.

The agency proposes to lower the maximum exposure to 50 micrograms per meter of air during an eight-hour shift. That matches the limit already in place under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Silica dust exposure has been linked to an earlier onset of black lung disease in miners, and to more severe cases.

The hearing is the only one scheduled to take place in Central Appalachia, where new cases of black lung disease are most concentrated.

Coal Miner With 53 Years Experience Dies On The Job In Mingo County

A 73-year-old coal miner who was killed on the job in Mingo County becomes the first fatality of 2023.

A 73-year-old coal miner who was killed on the job in Mingo County becomes the first mining fatality of 2023.

William Mapes, a contractor for Central Appalachian Mining, had 53 years of mining experience.

No further details were immediately available on what caused Mapes’ death.

According to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, 10 coal miners died on the job in 2022 and 10 in 2021. Five died in 2020, the lowest number on record back to 1900.

Coal production collapsed in 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, then made a modest rebound in 2021 as the economy recovered and demand for energy increased.

Prior to Mapes, the last coal mine fatality in West Virginia was in September in Kanawha County. 

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