Latest Mining Headlines
All the headlines from our Mining Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Univeristy of Idaho Officials Want to Start Mine Safety Instruction
Jun 4 2008 // The University of Idaho, seeing a resurgence of mining activity in northern Idaho due to soaring metal prices, is seeking federal funding to bring back mining education programs, a school official said. “The metals...
West Virginia Mining Accident Raises 2008 Death toll to 3
Jun 2 2008 // An 18-year-old International Coal Group employee died in West Virginia’s third fatal coal mining accident of the year. State Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training spokeswoman Jama Jarrett identified the...
Passage of Time Hampers Investigation of West Virginia Mining Accident
May 16 2008 // A West Virginia official says the passage of time makes it impossible to determine what caused a fatal 2005 coal truck crash. Administrator Terry Farley said May 14 the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training...
Mine Officials Say Violations Contributed to West Virginia Death
May 14 2008 // Federal investigators issued two citations for safety violations they say contributed to the death of a West Virginia coal miner last year. A federal Mine Safety and Health Administration report released May 12 says Long...
Coal Mining Company Cited for Violations in West Virginia Mine Death
May 9 2008 // Federal investigators cited coal operator Massey Energy Co. for safety violations that contributed to the death of a West Virginia miner last year, according to a federal report released May 7. The U.S. Mine Safety and...
Update: West Virginia Cancels Mine Seal Meeting
May 1 2008 // The state Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety has put off plans to revisit West Virginia’s regulations for sealing abandoned sections of coal mines. State law requires the board to review West Virginia’s...
West Virginia to Revisit Mine Seal Rules
Apr 30 2008 // The state board of Coal Mine Health and Safety plans to revisit West Virginia’s regulations for sealing abandoned sections of coal mines. State law requires the board to review West Virginia’s regulations...
Virginia Mine Where Worker Died Had 48 Safety Violations
Apr 25 2008 // The owner of a southwest Virginia coal mine where a worked was killed Tuesday had been cited 48 times for safety violations since 2005, according to state documents. The violations at the Wise County mine included seven...
West Virginia Mining Co. Blames Losses on Structural Issues, Labor Shortage
Apr 25 2008 // West Virginia-based International Coal Group says its first-quarter loss widened nearly 42 percent due to lagging production and other problems. ICG said Wednesday it lost $11.5 million, or 8 cents per share, in the first...
Kentucky Gov. Blocking Mine Safety Appointment of Ex-Fletcher Aide
Apr 23 2008 // Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration is blocking the appointment of his predecessor’s top aide to Kentucky’s Mine Safety Review Commission. Stan Cave, who was former Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s...
Safety Award at West Virginia Mine Stirs Critics
Apr 16 2008 // The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration plans to give a safety award to a Massey Energy Co. underground mine in West Virginia where two men were killed in a January 2006 fire. Massey announced the award for its...
Long-Sought Pennsylvania Mine Safety Bill Hits New Snags
Apr 10 2008 // A new disagreement has erupted over efforts to overhaul Pennsylvania’s 1961 mine safety law, threatening a compromise forged more than five years after the rescue of nine miners in western Pennsylvania spurred a push...
Mines Lack Safety Equipment 2 Years After Sago Tragedy, U.S. Says
Apr 10 2008 // Underground coal mines lack stockpiles of breathable air and communications gear for trapped workers, according to a federal report released this week, nearly two years after a series of mine fatalities led to Congress...
Utah Coal Mine Closed Over Safety Problems
Apr 4 2008 // The deepest coal mine in the United States abruptly shut down, a week after the company was hit with a huge safety fine and was being assessed for other violations at a nearby mine. UtahAmerican Energy Inc. said...
Families of 6 Dead Miners Sue Owners Over Utah Cave-In
Apr 4 2008 // The families of six men killed in a Utah mine cave-in sued the mine’s Ohio owners, claiming that the collapse occurred because they were harvesting coal unsafely. The lawsuit filed in 3rd District Court contends...
Citations Issued in Kentucky Coal Mining Death
Mar 28 2008 // Kentucky mine safety officials issued multiple citations in the death of an eastern Kentucky coal truck driver who was killed at Blue Ridge surface mine in Letcher County. Authorities say 29-year-old Roy D. Sturgill died...
Mine Co. Fined $4,456 for Violations Tied to Fatal West Virginia Accident
Mar 26 2008 // Massey Energy has been fined nearly $4,500 for safety violations the state says contributed to a fatal accident at a West Virginia coal mine. Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training inspectors found the...
Kentucky Miner Videotapes Safety Hazard, Receives Reprimand
Mar 21 2008 // When Kentucky coal miner, Charles Scott Howard, played an eye-catching videotape last year that showed barriers so cracked that water gushed through them, he prompted a federal investigation that led to citations against...
Update: Kentucky Senate Passes Mine Safety Bill
Mar 20 2008 // The Kentucky Senate passed legislation that would require coal companies to post their global positioning system (GPS) coordinates at mine sites so that medical helicopters can be given precise directions in cases of...
West Virginia’s Massey Coal Mine Cited for 2007 Accident
Mar 20 2008 // Massey Energy Co. is facing fines for safety violations that state inspectors say contributed to a fatal accident at a West Virginia coal mine. Miner David Neal suffered critical injuries after falling about 39 feet from a...
