Jerry Britton, Kentucky Miner, Killed Inside Hubble Mining Company's No. 9 Mine

WHITESBURG, Ky. -- A foreman has been killed at an underground mine in eastern Kentucky in the third mine-related fatality in the state in 10 days.

Investigators say 47-year-old Jerry Britton was apparently struck by a piece of equipment Monday morning inside the Hubble Mining Company's No. 9 mine in Letcher County.

The miner from Pound, Va., was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It was the state's seventh mine-related death in 2011. It happened 10 days after two workers at a western Kentucky surface mine were crushed by falling rock and debris in their truck.

Hubble's No. 9 mine has had two accidents this year, including a July incident where a worker was injured by a hydraulic jack. The mine is closed pending an investigation.

Comments

[blueplano]

01:14 PM on 11/09/2011

We don't need no stinkin OSHA and all those job-killing regulations.............

[Aleks Hunter]

09:52 AM on 11/09/2011

And they want to strip away "job killing" regulations and nurse worker killing "freedom" back to health.Far too many miners died in and just outside these very same mines fighting for the regulations that keep the rest of us safe. Lets keep OSHA and lose the GOP caucus in Congress.

[Darknuss1]

10:10 PM on 11/08/2011

This is a sad event. My condolences go out to his surviving family. What I will watch for is how Senator McDonnell responds to this incident. And how the voters in Kentucky respond to the republican candidates that are supposed to be representing their interests. Seems the republicans are communist sympathizers providing tax breaks and loopholes to industries that were once American that have moved to Communist Red China with the republicans blessings, including McDonnell.

[paulfiquet]

10:05 PM on 11/08/2011

I worked in the coal mines of eastern kentucky in Aflex wit h Leckie collieries and in west virginia at the Red Jacket coal co. and the most important thing was getting the coal out....never mind safety unless it was absolutely necessary to get the coal out....by the way mine inspectors would always let the companies know they were coming !!!! prior to their visits they would change enough to pass the inispections and then after the visits would go back the old way...safety or not...

[meleagrid]

09:53 PM on 11/08/2011

The price of carbon is costly.

[Scruffyboo2]

09:04 PM on 11/08/2011

Have all you "RepCons" noticed that almost all of mine safety deaths and injuries are in non-union mines ... ?

[Kevin Rayburn]

09:06 PM on 11/08/2011

i love how a cretain group likes to put politics in front of the fact that a man died trying to feed his family, thats a tragedy. trying to insert a political agenda into such a tragedy show a complete lack of a proer upbringing.

[boogie albert 56]

08:23 PM on 11/08/2011

As a former coal miner of 13 years I do know accidents happen underground. I have lost friends in coal mines. Some of these can be avoided, some can not. This article says that the miner was hit by a piece of equipment. It does not say what piece but they are not small. Sounds like a case of carelessness on one or the others part. There are certain procedures to follow when operating or working around equipment. It is to late to speculate but it is sad that this miner will never see the sky again. That is what every miner thinks everytime he goes underground. Condolences to the family.

[landshark1061]

08:16 PM on 11/08/2011

Just another victim of an industry with historically poor regulation and a high mortality rate. Mining is not rocket science, men have been tunneling into the earth since we were able to walk erect. It's corporate greed that pushes the limits of man and machine for more and more profit, being billionaires is not enough, they need and more, it's their addiction! I have lost two grandfathers to miners illnesses, My condolences to his family, I only hope he was a good foreman not a company man.

[Donna Richard]

06:21 PM on 11/08/2011

Every time a mining death occurs, I hope all who voted for Rand Paul will remember his stand on mining safety regulations and re-consider voting him and those who believe as he does, back into office. Sad to realize that many of these miners and their family members voted for him against their own self interest. We need representatives that look out for the welfare of the workers and not just those of the wealthy mine owners.
"Rand Paul: Mine safety regulations aren’t needed since “no one will apply” for jobs at dangerous mines" http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2010/08/03/206528/rand-paul-mine-safety-regulations-jobs/

[boogie albert 56]

08:32 PM on 11/08/2011

As stated above I am a former coal miner. There are two entities that inspect the mines. State and Federal. I have seen state inspectors sit outside the drift mouth, write their report and never go underground. I have seen Federal inspectors open the firelog book, put cash in their pocket and go home. The state and federal never did see eye to eye. To be honest with you I preferred the state inspectors. A safe mine depends on the miners.

[traditional]

04:55 PM on 11/08/2011

Please Republican public servants be specific when you all say we need to get rid of regulations We are not ready to give up family members to please your top contributors.

[Darknuss1]

10:18 PM on 11/08/2011

You do realize that the top contributors are also the industrialists who have transferred their operations to Communist Red China? Those Republicans who are grinning at you on camera are nothing less than communist sympathizers, unwilling to close the tax breaks and loopholes for businesses that do not contribute to the national tax base. Getting rid of regulations is another way of spitting in the American workers face.

[traditional]

06:46 AM on 11/09/2011

yes i do realize that

[Darknuss1]

07:55 PM on 11/09/2011

With all this communist sympathy in the congress and senate by the republicans, we don't need Joe the plumber, we need tail gunner Joe.

[garylinn]

04:02 PM on 11/08/2011

My father and grandfather before him were coal miners in WV. It is a very tough job and it is dangerous; it always has been. I didn't do it; I went to college...THANK GOD.

[tburke1932]

03:57 PM on 11/08/2011

.The Republicans want to do away with government regulations and just trust the mine owners. Mine owners value a man's life by the cost to replace him.

[glers]

05:56 PM on 11/08/2011

Thank you

[soli]

03:43 PM on 11/08/2011

I grow weary of all the BS postings about the lack of mining regulations in the US.
The US has some of the strictest rules in the world.

Have you posters ever seen a coal mine?
Or even coal, for that matter?

Just an FYI: it is a black carboniferous mineral that is used to fire electrical generating plants that power your computers, house lights, heating systems, and your new, fancy electric cars.
People think they have gone "green" when they switch to electricity, but they don't realize that electric power at its point-of-use has an efficency of less than 30%.
The rest is lost in generation and transmission.
How green is that?

Burn a ton of coal to drive your spiffy electric car 30 miles?
How much "green" sense does that make?
Call Al Gore.
Maybe he'll give you a few $Ms in carbon credits from his $4K monthly utility bills on his one mansion.

[Watching rock grow]

05:14 PM on 11/08/2011

Gee, I am sorry you are so weary... perhaps you and Senator Rand Paul can join together in your disgust at mining regulations at yet another burial of a miner.

Or do either of you attend such things?

[glers]

06:02 PM on 11/08/2011

I am well aware of the Rockerfellers and their ilk and how they got their wealth , you know the 1% you hear about, If we would of gone solar 30 years ago like Carter wanted maybe we would be burning less coal today. Coal's days are numbered it may take 20-25 years but if we can get rid of Conservatives we have a chance to speed that up

[pene]

03:36 PM on 11/08/2011

I'm waiting to hear that Hubble, as a person, is charged with this death. Negligent homicide, manslaughter, or even murder. Any of the 3 would apply.

[boogie albert 56]

08:36 PM on 11/08/2011

If he was hit by a piece of equipment it sounds like carelessness on one or the others, equipment operator , part. Or it could just have been plain old bad luck, wrong place at the wrong time. How did I come to this decision? I am a former underground miner and foreman for 13 years. One more miner that will never see the sky again is a sad thing.