, ▁but ▁the ▁ag ency ▁was ▁short ▁of ▁inspect ors ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁re ins pect ▁on ▁that ▁date , ▁as ▁was ▁required ▁by ▁law . ▁The ▁under st aff ed ▁ag ency ▁needed ▁about ▁ 7 5 0 ▁inspect ors , ▁but ▁only ▁had ▁ 4 9 9 ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁dis aster . ▁ ▁The ▁conditions ▁would ▁have ▁allowed ▁the ▁b ureau ▁to ▁declare ▁the ▁mine ▁" ex cess ively ▁ha z ard ous " ▁and ▁conduct ▁ins pe ctions ▁every ▁ 1 0 ▁days , ▁but ▁they ▁chose ▁not ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁The ▁mine ▁own ers ▁had ▁been ▁bl amed ▁by ▁inspect ors ▁for ▁the ▁cr ushing ▁death ▁of ▁a ▁worker ▁on ▁November ▁ 9 , ▁saying ▁the ▁own ers ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁required ▁rep airs ▁to ▁the ▁under ground ▁tra ctor ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁accident . ▁ ▁This ▁lack ▁of ▁enfor cement ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁min ing ▁safety ▁law ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁wider ▁problem ▁protest ed ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁Congress , ▁and ▁union ▁min ers ▁had ▁gone ▁on ▁strike ▁that ▁summer ▁to ▁protest ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁enfor cement . ▁The ▁under st aff ed ▁ag ency ▁had , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁H urr icane ▁Creek ▁dis aster , ▁failed ▁to ▁issue ▁a ▁single ▁fine ▁despite ▁cit ing ▁thousands ▁of ▁safety ▁viol ations ▁at ▁do z ens ▁of ▁coal ▁mines . ▁ ▁Dis aster ▁On ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁the ▁ 3 8 ▁day ▁shift ▁workers