Mine Safety Agency Was "Negligent" In Protecting Utah Miners

The Labor Department's Inspector General said Monday that the federal agency responsible for ensuring the safety of the nation's coal miners was "negligent" in protecting the workers at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

The Mine Safety and Health Agency also could not ensure that its approval of the mining plan at the Utah mine was free of undue influence by the mine's operator, Murray Energy, the Inspector General says in a report issued Monday.

MSHA responded to the report that the word "negligent" was misleading and expressed concern that the independent investigating arm of the Labor Department was implying its decisions were affected by undue influence.

But the Inspector General says its findings "remain unchanged."

The report found that:

MSHA was negligent in carrying out its responsibilities to protect the safety of miners. Specifically, MSHA could not show that it made the right decision in approving the Crandall Canyon Mine roof control plan or that the process was free from undue influence by the mine operator. MSHA did not have a rigorous, transparent review and approval process for roof control plans consisting of explicit criteria and plan evaluation factors, appropriate documentation, and active oversight and supervision by Headquarters and District 9 management. Further, MSHA did not ensure that subsequent inspections assessed compliance with, and the effectiveness of, approved plans in continuing to protect miners. MSHA and mine operator officials worked together to develop rescue plans related to the August 2007 tragedy, with MSHA exercising final approval authority over all activities. MSHA, however, lacked guidance on appropriate non-rescue activities.

United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts released a statement saying:

We've argued for years that many at the upper levels of MSHA are more interested in helping mine operators increase production than they are in helping miners stay safe. The Kennedy report and the OIG report both blow the lid off the internal workings of the agency, exposing for all to see what actually happens and confirming what we've said.

Comments

[TXfemmom]

The officials within the bureay who were responsible for this, as well as the operators should be indicted and convicted of negligent homicide, and they wouldn't do things like this again.

[JessWonderin]

WHAT???
A Bush Agency failing to perform it's basic duty and favoring corporate profit over workers? Who'd thunk?

[jdfast]

Yea, like the EPA, Dept of the Interior, Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, etc. All are in the hands of W's buddys and we are sure fuck--.

[minervoice]

Yet another report that you'll never see from the likes of MSHA. They're so busy covering their own ass that they would much rather sweep this kind of information under the rug. Thank God Cecil Roberts made Congress do independent investigations of this. Otherwise, all we'd have is MSHA's quiet attempt to sweep yet another mine disaster under the rug.

[Pookie2112]

And this is shocking? Like every other department within this government, it has been tainted by the political powers that be - profits before people. We are no longer the United States of America but the Corporate States of America. The Monkey Boy Admuddlestration has managed to infect each and every department in government with politics until they no longer function as they should - for the PEOPLE - but function for the sole purpose in ensuring that Corporate America can gain the maximum greenbacks with the minimum oversight. Time and again, this admuddlestration has shown us it's utter contempt for the American citizen. This is just further proof of this fact.

I hope the mine workers families sue the mine owner to the point where that fat-ass bastard can enjoy the benefits of government assistance. Let that motherf*cker WORK for his government cheese.

[captnEarl]

The buck stops with Bush and his pupit master cheney they are the guilty ones

[jdfast]

Just think our precious speaker of the house said that impeachment was off the table. That would have been my top priority in January of 07 and they did nothing to change any part of this current goverment;s corrupt structure of lack of accountability. Sound pretty much what the repugnants wanted from Nancy P right?