Coal mining deaths skyrocket in 2017
Source: The Hill
BY TIMOTHY CAMA - 01/02/18 10:39 AM EST
Workplace deaths in the coal mining industry increased last year to their highest point in three years.
A total of 15 miners died on the job in 2017, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) data show, compared with eight in 2016. That year saw the fewest mining deaths since records began.
The 15th death occurred early Friday morning at a Revelation Energy mine in Fayette County in southern West Virginia, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.
Thurman A. Watts died when a piece of machinery he was operating traveled over a wall.
Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/367034-coal-mining-deaths-skyrocket-in-2017
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and allies have been eliminating safety regulations, worker rights and other protections for some time. Jobs have been declining due to automation, the use of energy sources like gas and other factors for decades.
It's a rotten, controversial situation and unfortunately coal is the only employment in some places since profitable alternative enterprises and strong economic development are lacking, understatement. The end of coal and the need to replace it with green industries for many reasons is recognized by more residents than thought. Being openly anti-coal can also be dangerous, sad as that is but fact. On a positive note, there's not much media coverage but there exist dedicated progressive groups and young people in central Appalachia involved in reclaiming land for agriculture and forestry use, fruit and apple producing, local crafts production and other projects.
It's also not unusual for WV families to have members both working in the mining industry for the money and others bravely fighting for the preservation of mountains and the environment and against deadly MTR- mountain top removal and strip mining that pollute and ruin habitat, communities and cause high rates of cancer, asthma and other health problems.
- Maria Gunnoe, MTR activist, 10th generation West Virginian and Bill McKibben, 350.org.
Maria Gunnoe: My Mountain Story
In 2000, the mountain ridge above Maria Gunnoe’s home became a mountaintop removal coal mining site. She and her family withstood ground-shaking explosions, clouds of harmful dust, severe floods, and poisonous contamination of the drinking water in their home, which was eventually destroyed by a flood, a common effect of mountaintop removal mining. The coal company told her it was an "act of God."
Her experiences transformed Maria from an everyday person into a courageous, outspoken organizer for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, board member of the nonprofit flight tour organization SouthWings (which has made possible all of the aerial views and photos of mountaintop removal), and leader of the movement to stop mountaintop removal. Over the years, her bold work has opened countless eyes to the truth about coal and its path of destruction. Her life has been threatened numerous times for her criticism of the coal industry, and she’s been assaulted and harassed, but she has refused to be silenced.
In 2009, she was awarded the prestigious Goldman Prize, or "Green Nobel," for her courageous activism against destructive mountaintop removal mining. In October 2012, Maria Gunnoe will be the 22nd recipient of the University of Michigan's Wallenberg Medal, a high honor for recognizing the world's preeminent humanitarian leaders. More,
https://earthjustice.org/mountain-heroes/maria-gunnoe
THE WORK OF TURNING APPALACHIAS MOUNTAINTOP COAL MINES INTO FARMS, Yes! Magazine, Oct. 2017
..“It’s almost like a continuous miner head,” explains Nathan Hall, “but instead of mining coal, it’s mulching autumn olives.” Hall is from Eastern Kentucky and worked for a short time as a miner before attending the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies; now he heads up Reclaim Appalachia, which focuses on repurposing mine land.
Refresh and Reclaim are the only outfits attempting anything of this scale while also operating a job-training project.
A few small agriculture projects are on other former surface mines in the area, but Refresh and Reclaim are the only outfits attempting anything of this scale while also operating a job-training project. One crew member, former miner Chris Farley, says he’s stoked to be a part of “the first bunch” to attempt to farm these rugged lands. “It’s a long-term science project,” says Ben Gilmer, Refresh’s president.
Southern West Virginia nonprofit Coalfield Development runs Refresh, Reclaim, and a family of three other social enterprises. In an environment where finding secure employment is hard, Coalfield offers low-income residents a two- to two-and-a-half-year contract to undergo training in sustainable construction, solar technology, and artisan-based entrepreneurship. Trainees also earn stipends to work on their associate’s degrees and receive life skills mentorship before Coalfield assists them in finding full-time work.
Since 2012, Coalfield Development has created more than 40 on-the-job training positions and grown financial wealth for low-income people by over $3.1 million (calculated in wages, benefits, and savings). At current levels of participation, they project hiring 320 crew members and graduating 215 over the next nine years.
Ultimately, they hope that their model will spread to other parts of Appalachia, creating quality jobs that enable hardworking people to stay and make a living in this economically depressed region, where one in four children live in poverty. More..
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/just-transition/the-hopeful-work-of-turning-appalachias-mountaintop-coal-mines-into-farms-20171012
Here's the thing. You roll back regulations, that's one contributor. BUT, the underlying message is that corporations get a pass, maybe can get away with other stuff -- that's another contributor. IOW, it creates a lax environment where there's very little attention to workers or their health and LIVES.
