Articles regarding the recent mine tragedies; one tells about the new rules to improve safety in mines that will help miners survive underground fires and about the attempt to recover after a disaster. Ben Hatfield, CEO International Coal Group Inc. which operates Sago mine announced at the Senate hearing his company had established a million dollar - or more - fund for the familes of the victims. Compare that to what it might have cost his company to install some of the safety improvements mentioned in the hearing.
Doesn't make sense does it? The mine goes on. Twelve men are gone forever.
The second story tells how well things went when the mine operator was prepared.
An incident in a Canada mine where 72 miners were brought to safety after a fire had broke out in the plastic tubing inside the mine where they were working. These miners had oxygen and food inside a safe room. "Safety is a core part of the culture at Mosaic, said Fritz Corrigan, Mosaic's chief executive officer."
According to a statement I found on the web, the Mosaic company was formed on October 22, 2004 through the combination of Cargill Crop Nutrition and IMC Global and is an American owned mine. I hope that all the mines this company operates in the USA can promise that safety is a core part of their operation.
A third item is a link to Congressman George Miller's report ""Bush Administration Systematically Undermining Health and Safety of Mine Workers"
I found some websites about potash mining and coal mining with photos to show you what it is like inside a mine.
These stories can be found Spinfocus WVA Mine Tragedies
