RB-12 was issued a total of 27 citations and orders two other Manalapan mines were inspected resulted in 21 citations and 11 citations respectively. Inspectors also found several electrocution hazards, that ribs and supports were not in proper condition creating a roof-collapse risk, and coal dust along a conveyor had accumulated causing an explosion risk. Inspectors found three defective gas detectors, two gas detectors that were turned off and had dead batteries, and one gas detector that was used for a pre-shift inspection was completely turned off during the inspection (when turned on it was found to be defective). MSHA was especially critical of the conditions it found in the RB 12 Mine controlled by Manalapan Mining. The inspections, which are the result of stepped-up enforcement of safety as a result of the Upper Big Branch disaster in April 2010, issued a total of 208 citations and seven orders to the fifteen coal mines on the list. MSHA has announced the results of the January 2011 impact inspections. MSHA announces results of January 2011 impact and regularly scheduled inspections Also Walker’s companies don’t have a stellar history of environmental compliance in 2002 three of his companies announced that they were broke and were ceasing treatment of the 175M gallons of wastewater they produced annually (they were eventually forced by a court to continue treatment as required by law). Walker is the CEO and owner of Bradford Coal, a major Pennsylvania coal company specializing in surface operations for lignite and bituminous coal, and is listed as being an executive of the Pennsylvania Coal Association. Alan Walker, the newly appointed head of the DCED, may face conflicts of interest with his new authority. “The law requires that you not pollute the waters of Pennsylvania, and if (the governor) tries to speed up an application that makes it possible that that is going to happen then I think he is clearly operating outside of his authority.” said Deborah Goldberg, an attorney with Earthjustice.
The 1184 page Pennsylvania state budget has a surprise in it it grants the head of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) unprecedented authority to “expedite any permit or action pending in any agency where the creation of jobs may be impacted.” Environmentalists are concerned that this authority will come into conflict with due process rules and environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. PA Governor Gives Energy Executive Supreme Authority Over Environmental Permitting
In fact the data show that the rates of black lung decreased steadily from 1969 to 1999, but has been on the rise since. These results are in marked contrast to comments recently by Senator Rand Paul (KY-R) claiming that no new coal dust regulations are necessary because the mining industry does a pretty good job of stopping black lung disease all by itself. The new study, to be published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Chest concludesĬontemporary occupational dust exposures have resulted over the last decade in rapidly progressive pneumoconiosis and massive fibrosis in relatively young West Virginia coal miners, leading to important lung dysfunction and premature death. West Virginia researchers have discovered that coal miners working in mines with legal amounts of coal dust are still contracting and dying from black lung disease. New study adds to evidence about the need for tougher rules to end black lung disease
0 kommentar(er)
