by George Leard

Created on: June 03, 2010   Last Updated: June 04, 2010

Should Federal Mine Inspectors have the authority to immediately shut down mines where they find safety violations?

The authority of Federal Mine Inspectors to immediately shut down mines they found violating safety regulations should be unchallenged, because of the life threatening implications of these operations, and the attendant historical records regarding accidents.

Mines can accumulate dangerous levels of methane gas, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. Methane gas is the most explosive of these gases, and has been known to kill several mine workers and even rescuers, over the last twenty years in the USA.

Approximately 4000 and 10,000 miners in USA and China respectively, are also affected by black lungs or pneumonoconiosis disease, found in these mine operations, and with such an infection rate, the Federal Mine Inspectors authority to shut them down for safety violations, are more than justified.

There should be no hesitation to apply the laws, because the situation will only exacerbate, with the rising concentrations of these gases, and their known and established explosivities.

Miners are endangered species, because of the nature of the work, and they should be afforded every possible protection, regardless of their personal financially flavored opinions, and the desire of the mines owners to maximize revenues, at the cost of the lives of the workers.

Once Federal Inspectors are given the revenues and appropriate laws to operate under, they will serve as a deterrent to unscrupulous mine owners, who should be heavily fined for violations not corrected within the specified time frame.

The gravity of the safety of the miners should be uppermost in the minds of all concerned, and safety inspectors should constantly remind them of the record of the industry, even since 1986.

A look would reveal statistical evidence that justify their constant investigations, and even the closing of plants, according to www.abcnews.go.com

1.1986- a total of 5 miners killed in a coal collapse at Consolidation Coal Co. in Fairview West Virginia

2. 1989-10 miners killed in an explosion at Pyro Mountain in Wheatcroft, Kentucky

3.1992- 8 miners were killed in an explosion at South Mountain in Norton, Virginia

4. 2001-13 lives perished in an explosion at the Jim Walter Resource Inc. in Brookwood, Alabama

5. 2006- 5 miners died in an explosion at Kentucky Darby No. Mine in Harlan County in Kentucky

6. 2006- 12 miners died in a methane explosion

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