Massey Energy
True Cost of Cutting Corners
Both the West Virgina coal mining disaster and the Gulf oil spill prove that there are devastating consequences to cutting corners.
Scientists are only beginning to investigate the devastating effects of the British Petroleum (BP) massive oil spill. The House Energy and Commerce Committee heard from experts on May 21 about the thousands of barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf.
Critics argue that the cleanup has been ineffective. The blame extends to both the oil company and the government. The Obama administration approved BP's Gulf drilling bid in February 2009.
ABC News reported on April 29, "The massive oil spill off the Gulf coast has complicated President Barack Obama's plan to expand offshore oil drilling in areas long out of bounds to energy development, forcing administration officials to promise a more critical look at the potential environmental risks."
According to a May 21 CNN report, "This is not just a regional issue for the wildlife," said Carl Safina, the president of the Blue Ocean Institute. Noting common migratory patterns, he warned that multiple forms of marine life from across the Atlantic Ocean "come into the Gulf to breed."
An independent expert, University of California-Berkeley professor Robert Bea has been interviewing those involved and giving them confidentiality in exchange for their candor. He said on NBC Nightly News May 21 that this accident was preventable. Bea has 50 years of experience in the oil industry. He says that safety was compromised due to improper well design and missed early warning signs of kicks of gas among other things. Bea said, "Drilling and well completion operations did not meet industry standards." Bea says these bad decisions were designed to save time and money at the expense of safety.
Just like the April 5 coal miner disaster at the Massey Energy Company's Upper Big Branch South Mine in West Virginia, which was the deadliest mining disaster the U.S. has experienced in 25 years, cutting corners proves to have catastrophic consequences.
Similar to the BP oil spill, authorities will fully investigate what went wrong at the mine, but this particular mine has a history of safety violations. According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration cited the mine for 1,342 safety violations over the past five years. Massey Energy reportedly contested 422 of those violations, but paid $742,830 in fines.
The Associated Press reported that just last year "federal inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment."
There is little debate that offshore drilling is almost as dangerous as coal mining for the workers involved. The risky work environment for both jobs is rewarded with lucrative pay. Workers earn far more than they could make in other positions. While they knowingly accept the risk, the corporations employing them have an ethical and legal obligation to provide a safe environment that complies with existing government guidelines.
We must not forget the severity of these recent and ongoing tragedies and honor their victims by tirelessly working to make sure that mines are safer and oil drilling safety standards are enforced.
Critical thinkers must ask, what is the point of having safety standards if they are not followed and enforced? While there are those that call for a bigger government, what we need is an effective government.
Tagged Bea, Carl Safina, coal mining, Gulf Oil Spill, Massey Energy
Who is to Blame for the Coal Mine Disaster in West Virginia and How Can Such Tragedies be Prevented?
On April 5, 25 coal miners died in an explosion at the Massey Energy Company's Upper Branch South Mine in West Virginia. This was the deadliest mining disaster the U.S. has experienced in 25 years.
Coal mining is an extremely dangerous profession. It always has been. Removing coal from the ground is extremely difficult. But this disaster causes critical thinkers to ask, why does it have to be so dangerous?
One of the biggest dangers in mines is methane. This colorless, odorless gas is so flammable that it can explode with even the spark generated from a static charge a person might get walking across a carpet during the winter. For this reason, miners are required to carry extra canister s of oxygen while they are underground. All mine explosions are preventable, said Kevin Stricklin who is an administrator for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Authorities will fully investigate what went wrong at the mine, but this particular mine has a history of safety violations. According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration cited the mine for 1,342 safety violations over the past five years. Massey Energy reportedly contested 422 of those violations, but paid $742,830 in fines.
CNN interviewed Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia) who said that the mine appears to be a "bad apple, there's no question about it, because of the history of violations, including as late as March 30 of this year."
There is now little hope that the four missing West Virginia coal miners will be rescued. Rescuers first made it into the mine again early in morning on April 9. But when they got within 1,000 feet of the second refuge chamber, it was poisoned with smoke. Rescuers extinguished the fire and returned to the chamber and have not recovered any miners.
While some continue to hold out hope that there will be survivors, the community is mourning the loss of seven men whose bodies have been recovered as their funerals are held.
Why did this tragedy occur and how can disaster like these be prevented?
An April 9 article on The Huffington Post titled, Obama Administration Missed Chance to Get Tougher On Unsafe Mines, attempts to assign some blame on a lack of government regulations. It says, "Long before the explosion that killed at least 25 miners inside Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine on Monday, Obama administration mine safety officials were aware of a major loophole that allowed companies like Massey to avoid stricter enforcement despite alarming safety records."
We must not forget the severity of this recent tragedy and honor its victims by tirelessly working to makes the mines safer for those that work there.
UPDATE: April 10, 2010 The bodies of the missing miners have been found. According to CNN, West Virginian Gov. Joe Manchin said, "We did not receive the miracle we prayed for." He made that sad statement "after notifying grieving family members that officials found the bodies of four miners who had been missing after a coal mine explosion."
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Tagged coal mine, Huffington Post, Massey Energy, Mine Safety and Health Administration, Obama adminstration, West Virginia