Latest Mining Headlines
All the headlines from our Mining Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Feds Give Mining Industry More Time to Mull Mine Safety Rule
Dec 20 2007 // The mining industry is getting more time to have its say about final federal rules requiring stronger seals for abandoned sections in underground coal mines. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday...
Feds Identify 20 Repeat Violators of Mine Health and Safety Rules
Dec 12 2007 // The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has warned 20 companies across the country that they may face sanctions as repeat violators of health and safety rules. The list includes coal operations in West Virginia,...
Army Corps of Engineers: Sago Mine Blast Stronger than First Reported
Dec 11 2007 // The deadly Sago Mine explosion in West Virginia may have been nearly seven times more powerful than previously reported, according to a government report obtained by the Sunday Gazette-Mail. The 138-page Army Corps of...
Another Suit Filed Over Fatal West Virginia Mine Fire
Dec 3 2007 // Massey Energy Co. is facing another lawsuit over a fatal fire at one of its mines in West Virginia. Wyatt Robinson’s lawsuit claims Richmond, Va.-based Massey and a subsidiary, Aracoma Coal Company Inc., failed to...
Data Mining Tools Can Achieve Results When Used Correctly
Nov 19 2007 // Data mining is a very powerful tool, but actuaries need to exercise caution when building insurance risk models because of the potential limitations of data. “I’ve heard data mining defined as ‘torturing...
Feds Propose Concrete Pipe System for Escaping Mines
Nov 18 2007 // Federal regulators believe they’ve found a quick and safe way for miners to escape fires or explosions in underground mines. A reusable system of 30- or 42-inch-diameter concrete pipes installed in underground mines...
Thomas to Direct Federal Mining Administration Accountability Office
Nov 16 2007 // A former district manager who has participated on mine rescue teams and fatal accident investigations will direct a new federal Mine Safety and Health Administration office charged with assessing compliance with agency...
Feds Reclassify 2005 Death as a Mining Accident
Nov 13 2007 // A coal truck crash that killed the driver in 2005 has been reclassified as a mining accident, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said. As a result, the agency plans to publish a report on the death of Chad...
Feds Propose Concrete Pipe System for Escaping Mines
Nov 8 2007 // Federal regulators believe they’ve found a quick and safe way for miners to escape fires or explosions in underground mines. A reusable system of 30- or 42-inch-diameter concrete pipes installed in underground mines...
Walking into a discrimination minefield
Nov 4 2007 // When a former employee sued Ernest for age discrimination, the owner of a small food services company fought back. He knew the allegation was totally false but, unfortunately for Ernest, he was completely on his own. Like...
W.R. Berkley Completes Acquisition of American Mining Insurer
Oct 5 2007 // Connecticut-based W. R. Berkley Corp. reports it has closed on the acquisition of CGH Insurance Group, the owner of American Mining Insurance Co. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. American Mining, based in...
Utah Mine Commission Hears Testimony
Sep 28 2007 // Local miners told the Utah Mine Safety Commission that more regulations would do little to improve safety at the state’s mines. The commission was formed by Gov. Jon Huntsman to explore whether Utah should begin...
Worker Killed in West Virginia Coal Mine
Sep 18 2007 // A worker was killed Sunday in an underground coal mine in southern West Virginia, a state mine safety official said. Ron Wooten, director of the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training said one person...
W. Va. Group Launches Project to Provide Free Help to Miners
Sep 12 2007 // A nonprofit group is offering free assistance to miners who believe they have suffered retaliation from employers for reporting safety problems. The Appalachian Center For the Economy and Environment launched the West...
Federal Mine Agency Funds Underground Tracking System
Sep 5 2007 // A Philippi, West Virginia company that developed a heart and breathing monitor for firefighters and helped NASA research global warming has been hired to create a prototype tracking system to locate miners...
Berkley to Buy American Mining Insurance Co.
Sep 4 2007 // Insurance holding company W. R. Berkley Corp., based in Greenwich, Conn., is acquiring acquire CGH Insurance Group, the owner of American Mining Insurance Co. American Mining, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has specialized...
U.S. Mine Industry Worried About Thefts of Emergency Air Packs
Aug 31 2007 // Underground coal miners in the United States are facing a new and apparently growing safety threat: the theft of emergency air packs. Authorities say the devices have been disappearing from mines, particularly in the state...
Utah Governor Creates Mine Safety Commission
Aug 29 2007 // Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has named the members of the newly organized Utah Mine Safety Commission to look into mine safety and accident prevention, as well as to investigate the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster and the...
N.J. Ups Mine Safety Violation Fines
Aug 22 2007 // Fines for violating New Jersey mine safety laws will increase under legislation signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine. State mine safety fines have ranged from $25 to $500. The new law increases them to up to $2,500 for...
Agencies Plan Safety Review of W. Va. Mine Impoundments
Aug 20 2007 // The state Department of Environmental Protection said it is launching a broad review of West Virginia’s 250 or so underground coal mines after one operation mined beyond its permit and – perhaps – inside...
