Blue Creek miners remembered at service (13 miners)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060924/NEWS/609240374/1007/dateline&cachetime=3&template=dateline

Blue Creek miners remembered at service
Mine safety remains major concern


By Jamon Smith
Staff Writer

September 24, 2006

BROOKWOOD | It’s been five years since David Blevins’ father was killed in an explosion that took the lives of 13 miners at Jim Walter Resources’ Blue Creek No. 5 Mine on Sept. 23, 2001.

But for Blevins and many others who attended the fifth annual Miners’ Memorial Service at West Brookwood Baptist Church Saturday afternoon, time has not healed old wounds.

“The sore I’ve gotten from his death on that day hasn’t gotten any closure. The hurt has never gone away," said Blevins, a 38-year-old Tuscaloosa resident and 18-year mining veteran, who quit mining the same day his father died.

Blevins said his father, also named David Blevins, was in a safe part of the mine when the initial explosion occurred, but was killed when he attempted to rescue the miners caught in the blast.

“What’s really killing me about this is the safety regulators are just sugar coating the safety adjustments they’ve made just to get all of us who are complaining to them to shut up," he said.

“They haven’t made any real changes yet. Canadian miners have safety chambers in their mines, why can’t we have those here, especially since our miners are digging more than 2,000 feet deep into the earth?"

On Sept. 8, the Mine Safety and Health Administration published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase civil penalties for violations of the Mine Safety and Health Act to increase the incentive of mine operators to comply with federal safety laws, according to a MSHA press release.

FULL story at link above.

[Omaha Steve]

1. 13 dead.....

and no replies??? :-)