Tags
Bob Murray, Coal mine rescue, coal outburst, Crandall Canyon Coal Mine Accident, Cummins, fines, health and safety, mining, mining deaths, MSHA, Murray Coal, Murray Energy, Pence, Safety, safety violations, United States
Click to access FTL07CrandallCanyonNoAppendix.pdf
The purpose of the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is to prevent injuries and deaths. Murray Coal executive, Bob Murray, complained about MSHA inspections in his to-do list for VP Pence (see further below). His griping also shows that MSHA has/had been doing their job.
An MSHA inspector was killed in one of his coal mines, and another inspector injured, along with miners: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/murray-energys-crandall-canyon-coal-mine-disaster-9-deaths/
Until recently, Trump VP Pence’s brother was a high level executive for Cummins, which sells engines to the mining industry. Additionally, Cummins is from Pence’s home town and has been a major donor to Pence over the course of his career.
Coal mining episode by John Oliver, over which Bob Murray sued him (suit was thrown out): http://youtu.be/aw6RsUhw1Q8
Based on data from MSHA, Reuters calculated that at five Murray coal mines there was an injury rate of 6.35 per 200,000 work hours last year (2017), more than double the 2.79 of 2013, which was the last year CONSOL operated them. It’s also 70% above the US average for underground mines. See: “Injury rates jump at coal giant Murray’s West Virginia mines“, OCTOBER 25, 2018, 7:35 AM, by Richard Valdmanis, Valerie Volcovici http://web.archive.org/web/20181025211423/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-coal-murray/injury-rates-jump-at-coal-giant-murrays-west-virginia-mines-idUSKCN1MZ1MH
On Sept. 16, 2015, “MSHA, Murray Energy reach global settlement of 1,753 violations issued to five mines previously owned by Consol Energy Judge approves settlement, Murray to pay $3.3 million in penalties WASHINGTON – Resolving 1,753 safety violations at five northern West Virginia mines and an initial assessment of $5.1 million in federal fines, an administrative law judge has approved a settlement between the mines’ new owner and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration… The order by the administrative law judge with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission settles violations issued to the Blacksville No. 2, Robinson Run No. 95, Shoemaker, Loveridge No. 22 and McElroy Coal mines…” https://www.msha.gov/news-media/press-releases/2015/09/16/msha-murray-energy-reach-global-settlement-1753-violations
At a Murray Coal Mine: “Crandall Canyon Accident Investigation
On August 6, 2007, six miners were killed in a catastrophic coal outburst when roof-supporting pillars failed and violently ejected coal over a half-mile area. Ten days later, two mine employees and an MSHA inspector perished in a coal outburst during rescue efforts. The August 6 catastrophic accident was the result of an inadequate mine design.” https://arlweb.msha.gov/Genwal/ccSummary.asp
BOB MURRAY’S WISH LIST TO TRUMP’S VP MIKE PENCE
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4345546/Murray-Energy-s-Action-Plan-for-the-Trump.pdf https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/09/climate/document-Murray-Energy-Action-Plan.html
https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/senators-pruitt-conflicts-industry-capture-of-trump-administration-renders-epas-proposed-methane-rule-invalid
Mining Awareness + 
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