Patriot Coal Co. said late Friday that it had closed its Federal No. 2 Mine in north-central West Virginia again because of bad gas readings in a sealed area of the mine.
In a news release, the company said:
Patriot Coal Corporation today reported that it has temporarily suspended active mining operations at the Federal No. 2 mine near Fairview, West Virginia. Mining operations ceased after one measurement in an abandoned area of the mine was found to be out of compliance during routine testing in accordance with the mine’s ventilation plan. As a result, the Company is making further refinements to its ventilation plan to address these conditions. The Company intends to review these refinements with the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration as soon as possible in order to resume production at the mine.
Mine managers at Federal No. 2 are the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into allegations of faked methane tests inside sealed areas, and complaints from one foreman that he was forced to ignore explosive methane readings in sealed areas.
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What are we to conclude from the fact that the mine could only remain in operation for 3 days when they were taking accurate gas readings?
Taking accurate readings AND — after a more than week-long shutdown — a revised elevated ventilation plan to alievate the problem.
It’s a good thing that mining is safer than being a flight attendent or this would be a real concern.
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=345531&Itemid=96
(Excerpt)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), flight attendants, as well as other employees in the scheduled passenger air transportation industry, suffer occupational injuries and illnesses at rates far in excess of those experienced by workers in nearly all other sectors of private industry. For example, in 2008, aviation employees suffered 9.6 recordable injury and illness cases per 100 workers. In comparison, employees in the coal mining industry experienced recordable injuries and illnesses at a rate of 4.4 cases per 100 workers and framing contractors in the construction industry reported 6.9 cases per 100 workers.
Good perspective and insight, rhmooney. As opposed to coal, there’s not large organized groups and journalists devoted to ending stick constructed homes and the airline industry. The mining industry overall does an exceptional job managing safety where hazards are plenty. There’s always room to improve though.
Now that they know someone’s actually paying attention …
Needless to say, mining is much more dangerous than flight attending.
Overall, miners and mining companies — and safety inspectors — do tremendously well controlling such dangers.
That needs to be better told — too many of us don’t appreciate it.
Casey, coal mining is not going to end, however, rightfully so, for many reasons, it will deminish as other methods are used to produce electricity.
Example:
3/7/10
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/science/stories/2010/03/07/thorium-art-gc67nvgb-1.html
(Example)
Thorium, they say, provides all the carbon-free energy of uranium – about 300 times more, actually – with almost none of the guilt.
Thorium plants cooled with molten fluoride salt would leave a fraction of the nuclear waste compared to the uranium-fueled, water-cooled plants in use today. In addition, thorium plants can’t melt down and don’t produce reliable fuel for bombs.
casey,
Would you agree that faking methane tests does not qualify as doing a good job managing safety hazards?
If so, that’s what this post is about … to try to reframe it another way amounts to taking people’s eyes of what the real story at this mine appears to be.
Ken.
Bob Mooney,
I’m not sure if you were trying to be funny or what … but it wasn’t especially funny. I think Casey has established pretty well that I am not very good and making jokes on Coal Tattoo, but regardless, please try to stay on topic … and let’s refrain from making light of the workplace dangers that another group of hard-working folks (flight attendants) face every day in their efforts to serve the flying public.
By way of update on the Federal No. 2 situation, Patriot issued this statement today:
Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) today reported that it resumed operations at the Federal No. 2 mine near Fairview, West Virginia. Operations at the mine were suspended on Friday, March 5 when the Company found an air quality measurement to be out of compliance with its ventilation plan. Alterations to the Company’s ventilation plan have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety & Health Administration and the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training. Air quality measurements are in compliance with the Company’s approved ventilation plan.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=216060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1399992&highlight=
ken,
Of course, very much, safeness is no joke at all for anyone in any occupation.
Even OSM inspectors have died (1986) and quite a few were physically assaulted during the early years.
So you know: I help to memorialized those who died while working to save the Everglades – http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/memorials/
I’m always concerned about safey.
Ken, I certainly agree on what the real story is here but I think the relative safety performance of the mining industry versus other industries that even have less hazard exposure is important. I would not even comment on it if it wasn’t for the repeating theme of many comments on this blog that the coal companies only care about profits and not the safety of the men and women working in the mines. The relative performance of the coal industry tells a much different story.