West Virginia Mining Disasters
Gov. Joe Manchin has called for a temporary halt to coal mining in West Virginia after the deaths of 16 men in four accidents since Jan. 2. Manchin wants mining to cease until safety checks can be conducted. The deadliest incident was at the Sago mine, where 12 men died.
U.S.
Sago Mine Rescuer Admits Giving False Hope()
May 3, 2006 A rescuer testifying at a public hearing into West Virginia's Sago mine disaster admits to mistakenly saying the trapped miners were alive, when in fact the sole survivor had been located. The rescuer nearly broke down while describing finding the dead miners.
U.S.
Tension, Emotion Run High at Mine-Safety Meeting()
May 2, 2006 In Buckhannon, W.Va., two-day hearings begin about the Sago Mine accident that killed 12 people on Jan. 2. Family members of the dead miners gave statements, and company officials presented their take on the accident, as well.
U.S.
Sago Miners' Reserve Air Failed, Survivor Says()
April 27, 2006 At least four emergency air packs issued at the Sago Mine failed to function, says West Virginia coal miner Randal McCloy. The lone survivor of the Jan. 2 disaster, in which 12 miners died, detailed the failures in a letter to the families of those who died after an explosion trapped them underground.
Business
Coal Mines Reopening to Meet U.S. Energy Demands()
February 3, 2006 Coal miners around the country are being asked to review safety procedures Monday. The move comes after a series of accidents in West Virginia that killed 16 coal miners. As energy prices have soared, more coal mines have reopened in Appalachia, including some of the mines involved in the accidents.
U.S.
W. Va. Legislature OKs Measures to Protect Miners()
January 23, 2006 West Virginia's state legislature has quickly passed a bill aimed at giving miners a better chance of surviving accidents. Gov. Joe Manchin submitted the bill, which calls for faster notification when an accident occurs and additional oxygen supply underground
U.S.
W. Va. Leaders Call for New Mining Regulations()
January 22, 2006 West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin is pushing for new federal and state mine-safety regulations after two recent accidents in his state killed 14 miners. The new laws would focus on improving rescue efforts and communication.
U.S.
Spate of Miner Deaths Alarms Lawmakers()
January 22, 2006 Two workers were found dead yesterday after an underground fire at a mine in Melville, West Virginia. This comes just weeks after 12 miners died at another West Virginia mine. Congressional hearings begin Monday into the Sago mine disaster in West Virginia three weeks ago.
U.S.
State Probe Under Way into Sago Mining Disaster()
January 13, 2006 West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has appointed former federal mine safety official Davitt McAteer to head a special state investigation into conditions in the coal industry. The probe comes after an explosion at the Sago coal mine that killed 12 miners. Anna Sale of West Virginia Public Radio reports.
Reporter's Notebook
A Sad Ritual: The Mine Disaster Vigil()
January 13, 2006 Mine disaster vigils like the one in West Virginia last week have played out across the nation's Appalachian mountains for decades. Frank Langfitt, NPR's Labor and Workplace Correspondent, has covered them before and writes about this sad ritual.
Youth Radio
Growing Up in a Coal Town: Stay Home or Leave?()
January 10, 2006 Commentator Natasha Watts is from the third generation of a coal mining family in Kentucky. The recent deaths of miners at the Sago Mine in West Virginia mirrored a similar mining accident in her home town decades ago, and reminds her of her own dilemma: whether to stay in the mountains with her family, or leave the coal industry behind.
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