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You are here: Home / Science & Technology / I’m Not as Dumb as I look

I’m Not as Dumb as I look

by John Cole|  January 27, 20069:18 am| 17 Comments

This post is in: Science & Technology

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Yours truly, several weeks ago:

Isn’t there some way to equip every miner with some sort of signalling device that would track their movements in mine? You walk into the mine, you put one on.

No more looking for survivors (should there be any), because you know where they are.

And if this is not technically possible, why not just pre-position supplies every 150 yards in the mine? You know- a big box of masks and batteries and potable water.

And three weeks later, Gov. Manchin acts:

Gov. Joe Manchin called for the continued review of West Virginia’s coal mine safety laws today after signing legislation that was written in reaction to the deaths of 14 miners this month.

Manchin said the new safety provisions, which he hopes to have in place by March 1, will make West Virginia “the benchmark everyone looks to when they mine.”

***

West Virginia’s new mine safety law mandates that miners be provided with emergency communicators and tracking devices. It also requires mine operators to store extra air supplies underground. A Mine and Industrial Accident Rapid Response System, featuring a statewide all-hours hot line to trigger rescue efforts more quickly, would also be created.

Some companies already provide extra air supplies, but in most cases, miners only carry canisters that provide up to an hour’s worth of oxygen.

Most mines in the United States still rely heavily on hard-wired communication systems, which can be damaged in explosions and fires. Rescue teams were unable to communicate with the trapped Sago miners because of such damage. Two-way wireless systems are considered unreliable underground.

The law requires mines to install low frequency, wireless systems that connect miners to the surface through a series of transponders. Mounted on headlamp battery packs that miners already wear on their belts, these systems would provide one-way text messages alerting them of emergencies and escape routes.

Also, miners would be required to wear battery-powered electronic tracking devices similar to ones used in Australia. The devices would transmit a miner’s unique identification number.

As for the rapid response system, the new law threatens $100,000 fines against coal companies that fail to report an emergency within 15 minutes. At Sago, company officials placed the first calls to state and federal safety officials more than an hour after the explosion. It was not immediately clear when the first calls were placed after the Aracoma fire.

It seems what was missing was not technology, but willpower, which is truly scandalous. Good for Governor Manchin for getting this bill passed, and for reading this website.

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Reader Interactions

17Comments

  1. 1.

    The Disenfranchised Voter

    January 27, 2006 at 9:25 am

    and for reading this website.

    LOL.

    Now that is what I call humor

  2. 2.

    John Cole

    January 27, 2006 at 9:25 am

    Hehe. Thought you would find that amusing, although Governor Manchin does read this website and has commented here.

  3. 3.

    Sine.Qua.Non

    January 27, 2006 at 9:26 am

    John:
    a) I can’t imagine anyone thinking you are dumb.
    b) The theory that corporations/industries should police themselves proves this theory is BS. Most of them would prefer not to have to do anything, which is sn overstatement, but also is a basis in truth on many levels. That it takes a disaster or two to make government and corporations respond, that is the crime here. I agree, its scandalous.

  4. 4.

    The Disenfranchised Voter

    January 27, 2006 at 9:29 am

    Interesting.

    Though I don’t think we can call him a regular reader. I mean that article is from 2003. Heh.

  5. 5.

    Faux News

    January 27, 2006 at 9:35 am

    Is it possible that the Honorable Gov. Manchin is DougJ?

    One never knows :-)

  6. 6.

    Rob

    January 27, 2006 at 9:53 am

    I heard that on the radio a couple of days ago and thought about your post.

  7. 7.

    Lines

    January 27, 2006 at 10:29 am

    Why should the state be the ones creating this law and enforcing it? If MSHA already exists, should this be theirs to implement and police?

    Oh wait, since the MSHA failed, it proves the federal government is too slow to respond and can never succeed in protecting its citizens, so its up to the states.

    Then, when the states fails miserably (not because they are run by Republicans, heavens no!) it will be up to the corporations to provide safety structures. When they realize profit is more important, then the individual miners must provide for their own safety.

    Trickle down economics at work!

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    January 27, 2006 at 11:10 am

    Have you been drinking, Lines?

  9. 9.

    Lines

    January 27, 2006 at 11:23 am

    Not enough, apparently. Look, the basic question I tried to get out in my post is this:

    Why should the state pony up when the Federal Government already should be encouraging this with the MSHA?

    Where does trickle down “responsibility” end?

  10. 10.

    nyrev

    January 27, 2006 at 12:40 pm

    Why should the state pony up when the Federal Government already should be encouraging this with the MSHA?

    The honest (but cynical) answer? Because the state can use the public sympathy following the Sago tragedy to actually push the legislation through, and unless the mining companies are stupid, they’ll go along with it.

    If the Feds try to pass this law now, mining companies in states that haven’t just had a major accident will be outraged. They’ll claim that making these changes are too expensive and will bankrupt them. They’ll threaten closure. The towns that depend on the mines will join in the protests, because they can’t afford to have the mines leave. And we’ll still be having this discussion two years from now.

  11. 11.

    Lines

    January 27, 2006 at 1:02 pm

    good point, nyrev. Thank you.

    The only thing about that is that it requires more tragedy before more states adopt it. I’d rather see the MSHA get state support and collaberation.

  12. 12.

    Pooh

    January 27, 2006 at 1:08 pm

    Don’t sell yourself short John, you’re a huge slouch…

  13. 13.

    Steve

    January 27, 2006 at 2:37 pm

    One of the best reasons to pass regulations on the federal level is that if you do everything state-by-state, it becomes a race to the bottom. Companies have an incentive to set up shot in whichever state has the loosest laws, which causes other states to loosen their laws in order to attract business. But if you pass a federal law, you level the playing field, at least as far as domestic competition is concerned.

    In the mining industry, this isn’t as much of a concern because the natural resources are where they are, and they ain’t moving. If New Jersey has the friendliest regulatory environment to set up a coal mine, that does you little good if there’s no coal in New Jersey. Since the mining companies pretty much have to go wherever the resources are, that enables states to set up tough regulatory regimes without driving away all their business.

  14. 14.

    ThomasD

    January 27, 2006 at 4:13 pm

    Noble efforts that one day may save a life. But check back in the not-too distant future to see how well the transponders and locating devices have been accepted by the miners themselves.

    An underground mine is a very big place, with alot of room for ‘low productivity’ activities. If you think tha miners are going to enjoy the prospect of having their entire days location and movement tracked and monitored you are sorely mistaken.

    Thre is an old saying hard rock miners use to describe their days activities. With some variation it goes soemthing like this:

    Drilled down
    Shot a round
    Ba

  15. 15.

    ThomasD

    January 27, 2006 at 4:14 pm

    Noble efforts that one day may save a life. But check back in the not-too distant future to see how well the transponders and locating devices have been accepted by the miners themselves.

    An underground mine is a very big place, with alot of room for ‘low productivity’ activities. If you think tha miners are going to enjoy the prospect of having their entire days location and movement tracked and monitored you are sorely mistaken.

  16. 16.

    nyrev

    January 27, 2006 at 5:38 pm

    Lines,

    This is where MSHA has an opportunity. After this legislation passes and the mining companies don’t go bankrupt and close, MSHA can tell the rest of the country that they have to meet WV standards. They’ll probably even get support from WV mining companies (because if they have to pay for the upgrades, their competitors should too). But we’ll see what actually happens.

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Balloon Juice says:
    January 30, 2006 at 5:57 pm

    […] It’s obvious that the industry will not upgrade itself. Governmental oversight means nothing when government has the industry associations write the rules and then hires industry veterans to implement them. Credit where credit is due, Governor Manchin did more than just appoint a blue-ribbon commission of stuffed suits and campaign donors, but political winds blow fickle and the problem of mine safety encompasses more of America than just West Virginia. If we care about miners, and insisting that we at least meet Canada’s standards for safety seems like a good way to show that we care, then people who detest labor unions may have to learn to detest them a little bit less. Right now there’s nobody else going to bat on the miners’ behalf. […]

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