May 25, 2010
Massey Mine Called Ticking Time Bomb by Miner who Escaped Death as He Fought Hurricane Force Air Velocities and Dust Debris to Exit
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Beckley, WV (HNN) – “Dean [Jones] often told me and his wife [sic] that he was afraid to go to work because the condition at the [Upper Big Branch] mine were so bad,” stated Alice Peters, the mother-in-law of Edward Dean Jones. Jones died in the April 5, 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion.
Peters continued, “At least seven times , he was told by Massey supervisors that, if he shut down production because of the ventilation problems, he would lose his job. They knew Dean needed to keep his job to make sure his son could get the medical care he needed.”
She testified that due to his son’s physical disability, he faced an “absolute necessity of maintaining his health insurance benefits. He continued to work even though he knew [the mine] was unsafe because he was afraid of being fired and losing his health insurance coverage.”
(To read Ms. Peters full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524AlicePetersTestimony.pdf)
Alice Peters represented one of six relatives of miners who died in the explosion who testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. One of the miners testifying was Stanley Stewart, who was 300 feet underground when the explosion occurred. He had previous warned of “bad conditions” at the Massey mine and told his wife “that place is a ticking time bomb.”
Stewart told of the explosion: “I was sitting on a mantrip at about 3 p.m. … we were getting ready to head to the section when I felt a breeze coming from inside the mine. The intensity picked up and I realized something bad was happening… Before I could get out the air velocity increased to what I felt was hurricane strength and I felt my feet wanting to leave the ground. The air was full of dust debris and I couldn’t see. Although I didn’t have far to go, I panicked, afraid that I might not make it out to safety.”
A miner of 35 years (20 year in a union mine; 15 in a non-union mine), Stewart told of Massey and Don Blankenship’s reaction to union organizing : “Massey and Mr. Blankenship ran a hand-on anti-union campaign and threatened to shut the mine down if the union was voted in. He preached he wanted flexibility. It didn’t take me long to know what his flexibility was --- do it his way or else, “Massey don’t need you. Get your bucket and get off the property.”
(To read Mr. Stewart’s full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524StanleyStewartTestimony.pdf
Miner Clay Mullins, who lost his brother Rex in the tragedy, testified that he has not returned to work since the accident. However, he testified that when a mine inspector entered the property , the guard shack called “the section and tell them [sic] we have an inspector on the property and make sure everything was right and if it wasn’t fix it. I have a problem with MSHA [issuing] so many vent violations. Why was there not something done to fix the ventilation problems permanently?”
To read Mr. Mullins full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524ClayMullinsTestimony.pdf
Gary Quarles, father of Gary Wayne Quarles who died in the blast, testified that at union mines miners accompanied MSHA inspectors and pointed out concerns. “When the MSHA inspector comes to a Massey mine, the only people accompanying him are Massey company people. No coal miner at the mine can point out areas of concern… if an MSHA inspector fails to say anything about these safety problems, what right do I have to say anything… I definitely would be terminated or retaliated against if I said anything,” Quarles testified.
To read Mr. Quarles full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524GaryQuarlesTestimony.pdf
Prior to testimony from these survivors, Gov. Joe Manchin III testified about losing his uncle and friends in the 1968 Farmington No. 9 mine explosion.
“It is important for me to make certain that those who do not know West Virginia miners and their families will come to understand the character and substance of these wonderful people,” the governor testified.
“Mining coal is hard and challenging work, and when mining is not done correctly, it can be dangerous. However in this day , we should be able to mine coal safety without risking the lives of our miners. Since the tragedy at UBB, my main objectives have been to determine what happened, make certain it does not happen again, and determine whether there was intimidation or other action at UBB that put profits ahead of safety,” Gov. Manchin said.
Senator Jay Rockefeller attended the hearing and expressed his deepest sympathy, respect and support for the affected families:
“We want to know what you think,” said Rockefeller. “What do you want us to focus on as we draft legislation? What do you want us to pay attention to as we try to prevent tragedies like this – in West Virginia and all across this country?
“You are the ones who sat at the kitchen table and listened to your loved ones after each hard day’s work. You are the ones who know what was weighing on their minds. Maybe you heard them talk about safety, or their worries, or their fears. Maybe you heard their pride in their work or their ideas for making improvements. You are real experts and with your advice, together, I hope we will find answers.”
Rockefeller will take the testimony of today’s witnesses back to Washington as he plays a key role in crafting the next phase of mine safety legislation. He has already started legislative work by authoring an amendment that was included as part of the Senate jobs bill, the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010, which will help more of our coal companies qualify for mine safety tax credits
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Massey Mine Called Ticking Time Bomb by Miner who Escaped Death as He Fought Hurricane Force Air Velocities and Dust Debris to Exit
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Beckley, WV (HNN) – “Dean [Jones] often told me and his wife [sic] that he was afraid to go to work because the condition at the [Upper Big Branch] mine were so bad,” stated Alice Peters, the mother-in-law of Edward Dean Jones. Jones died in the April 5, 2010 Upper Big Branch mine explosion.
Peters continued, “At least seven times , he was told by Massey supervisors that, if he shut down production because of the ventilation problems, he would lose his job. They knew Dean needed to keep his job to make sure his son could get the medical care he needed.”
She testified that due to his son’s physical disability, he faced an “absolute necessity of maintaining his health insurance benefits. He continued to work even though he knew [the mine] was unsafe because he was afraid of being fired and losing his health insurance coverage.”
(To read Ms. Peters full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524AlicePetersTestimony.pdf)
Alice Peters represented one of six relatives of miners who died in the explosion who testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. One of the miners testifying was Stanley Stewart, who was 300 feet underground when the explosion occurred. He had previous warned of “bad conditions” at the Massey mine and told his wife “that place is a ticking time bomb.”
Stewart told of the explosion: “I was sitting on a mantrip at about 3 p.m. … we were getting ready to head to the section when I felt a breeze coming from inside the mine. The intensity picked up and I realized something bad was happening… Before I could get out the air velocity increased to what I felt was hurricane strength and I felt my feet wanting to leave the ground. The air was full of dust debris and I couldn’t see. Although I didn’t have far to go, I panicked, afraid that I might not make it out to safety.”
A miner of 35 years (20 year in a union mine; 15 in a non-union mine), Stewart told of Massey and Don Blankenship’s reaction to union organizing : “Massey and Mr. Blankenship ran a hand-on anti-union campaign and threatened to shut the mine down if the union was voted in. He preached he wanted flexibility. It didn’t take me long to know what his flexibility was --- do it his way or else, “Massey don’t need you. Get your bucket and get off the property.”
(To read Mr. Stewart’s full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524StanleyStewartTestimony.pdf
Miner Clay Mullins, who lost his brother Rex in the tragedy, testified that he has not returned to work since the accident. However, he testified that when a mine inspector entered the property , the guard shack called “the section and tell them [sic] we have an inspector on the property and make sure everything was right and if it wasn’t fix it. I have a problem with MSHA [issuing] so many vent violations. Why was there not something done to fix the ventilation problems permanently?”
To read Mr. Mullins full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524ClayMullinsTestimony.pdf
Gary Quarles, father of Gary Wayne Quarles who died in the blast, testified that at union mines miners accompanied MSHA inspectors and pointed out concerns. “When the MSHA inspector comes to a Massey mine, the only people accompanying him are Massey company people. No coal miner at the mine can point out areas of concern… if an MSHA inspector fails to say anything about these safety problems, what right do I have to say anything… I definitely would be terminated or retaliated against if I said anything,” Quarles testified.
To read Mr. Quarles full testimony, click: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/testimony/20100524GaryQuarlesTestimony.pdf
Prior to testimony from these survivors, Gov. Joe Manchin III testified about losing his uncle and friends in the 1968 Farmington No. 9 mine explosion.
“It is important for me to make certain that those who do not know West Virginia miners and their families will come to understand the character and substance of these wonderful people,” the governor testified.
“Mining coal is hard and challenging work, and when mining is not done correctly, it can be dangerous. However in this day , we should be able to mine coal safety without risking the lives of our miners. Since the tragedy at UBB, my main objectives have been to determine what happened, make certain it does not happen again, and determine whether there was intimidation or other action at UBB that put profits ahead of safety,” Gov. Manchin said.
Senator Jay Rockefeller attended the hearing and expressed his deepest sympathy, respect and support for the affected families:
“We want to know what you think,” said Rockefeller. “What do you want us to focus on as we draft legislation? What do you want us to pay attention to as we try to prevent tragedies like this – in West Virginia and all across this country?
“You are the ones who sat at the kitchen table and listened to your loved ones after each hard day’s work. You are the ones who know what was weighing on their minds. Maybe you heard them talk about safety, or their worries, or their fears. Maybe you heard their pride in their work or their ideas for making improvements. You are real experts and with your advice, together, I hope we will find answers.”
Rockefeller will take the testimony of today’s witnesses back to Washington as he plays a key role in crafting the next phase of mine safety legislation. He has already started legislative work by authoring an amendment that was included as part of the Senate jobs bill, the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010, which will help more of our coal companies qualify for mine safety tax credits
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