Jan. 03, 2006 - 19:49 MST

BLACK HARVESTS

Significant to me is the fact that the Labor Department cited this West Virginia mining outfit 208 times in 2005. Which shows in a box in the article by Vicki Smith of the Associated Press in today's Rocky Mountain News. Quote:

"The Sago Mine where 13 coal miners were trapped after an explosion Monday, was cited 208 times for alleged safety violations in 2005, up from 68 citations the year before under previous owner, Anker West Virginia Mining Co. which was in bankruptcy."

"Ninety-six of the citations were considered "signigicant and substantial" by inspectors, including failure to dilute coal dust, which can lead to explosions, and faliure to properly operate and maintain machinery, according to the U.S. Labor Department."

"An official with International Coal Group, which has owned the mine since March, said the Labor Department could have closed the mine had officials deemed it unsafe."

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In the large article by Vicki Smith of the Associated Press it mentions one source of mine explosions as, "Such mine explosions are typically caused by buildups of naturally occurring methane gas, and the danger increases in the winter months." "The governor's spokeswoman, Lara Ramsburg, said the blast may have been sparked by lightning from severe thunderstorms, but Nicholson, the company attorney said the cause was not clear and there was no indication it was methane related."

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Mining is a hugly dangerous occupation which pays miners not quite enough for the risks they take. It has pretty well been that way since recorded history. Mining has a history of labor strife from the early days of our country, for many good and sufficient reasons. It has not just been in the coal mines of the eastern part of our country. The Ludlow Massacre of Southern Colorado concerned with the coal mines in our state which supplied Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (Little Pittsburg in Pueblo, Colorado owned by Rockerfeller).

Perhaps in the present the media will leave the people connected and concerned with this tragedy well enough alone so that they can determine exactly what did cause the explosion. That would be the first step.

Next, a determination of responsibility and degree of financial punishment of the company if they were at fault which might in some way take care of the deceased's relatives who depended on the miners.

Then perhaps the enforcement by the Labor Department should be strengthened, rules stiffened and oversight beefed up to prevent the same things from happening in that mine or others in our country.

Mining of any kind and oil drilling are quite dangerous and a miner or oil patcher lives a hard life, with little good to look forward to in later life.

Because our homes are very seldom heated with coal anymore makes us unaware that much coal is burnt in industry the world over. Much coal is brought down from the Northwestern Colorado/Wyoming area, trains stretching from here to hell and gone, of coal cars fully loaded yet today.

So it is not a problem that will go away. Even if all industry of our country is sent overseas, our miners will still be digging up the black gold of coal to be shipped overseas to where it will be used.

SO it appears that the Earth will take humans lives in a succession of BLACK HARVESTS . . . . . . . . .

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