tagged w/ Miners
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One of the four miners trapped 90m (295ft) below ground in the Swansea Valley has been found dead, police say.
Link : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14944188One of the four miners trapped 90m (295ft) below ground in the Swansea Valley has been... more
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Note: Added to Countdown Discussion since this story was mentioned in the June 29, 2011 Worst Persons in the World segment of Countdown.
Little is known what the last moments were like for the miners who lost their lives in the Massey Coal Mine in West Virginia on April 6, 2010. However, I've allowed myself to speculate, only because I hope those who perpetrated the crimes that led to the death of the miners could read it, and feel at least some sliver of guilt.
To me, willful negligence that results in the death of another is nothing short of murder. Please take the time to read the full story which you can find on my blog titled, "The Forgotten Perspective." Please take the time to share this story with your friends. Unfortunately, it seems that only Keith Olbermann had the journalistic integrity to cover this story.
Find the full story here:
http://forgottenperspectives.blogspot.com/2011/06/dark-pit-of-greed.htmlNote: Added to Countdown Discussion since this story was mentioned in the June 29,... more
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"Another hot summer in Richmond, VA. It was so hot I actually saw a pitcher for the Flying Squirrels icing balls instead of his elbow." Stand-up comedian Chris Martin at the F-bomb Comedy Festival September 19, 2010.
http://www.chrismartincomedy.com"Another hot summer in Richmond, VA. It was so hot I actually saw a pitcher for... more
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Sen. Rand Paul questioned the need Thursday for new federal new coal-mining rules to reduce black-lung disease, despite federal figures showing the illness has been on the rise in recent years, killing about 1,500 miners annually.Sen. Rand Paul questioned the need Thursday for new federal new coal-mining rules to... more
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http://www.dol.gov/dol/media/webcast/20101013-coal/20101013-coal.htm
Whenever policy wonks or bureaucrats or business folk in temperature-controlled (coal-fired generated) offices admonish me to accept the reality of dirty coal in our lives, I remind them of this fact:
Three coal miners die daily–and needlessly–from black lung disease; over 1,000 coal miners perish every year.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/nsb081808_blacklung.html
As West Virginia coalfield journalist Ken Ward noted this week, the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) will be sponsoring six public hearings this winter on new rules proposed by the Obama administration that should stop this scandalous workplace tragedy.
http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/11/10/msha-announces-public-hearings-on-obama-administrations-plan-to-end-black-lung-disease/
Two questions beg to be asked:
Will the Republican-led Congress support these new rules–or will they strip mine safety laws again and allow the scandal of black lung to continue in the name of increasing production?
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0703.ward.html
And why on earth do we still have black lung disease problems?
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/why-is-black-lung-back/
(By the way, a report a report released this month at the Symposium on Occupational Safety and Health in Coal Mines found that 6,000 coal miners in China die annually from black lung disease.)
On the heels of the Chilean mine rescue last month, the White House attempted to draw attention to their “End Black Lung” campaign. The White House blog exclaimed:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/10/18/taking-black-lung
> In the midst of our excitement at their rescue, it is important to remember that many,
> many more miners lose their lives each year, not just to accidents at mines, but also
> to the greatest threat to American miners: black lung disease.
> Sadly, because deaths from this painful disease don’t have the sudden, devastating
> impact or bring the media attention that mine explosions generate, black lung has
> gotten less attention than it deserves.
> The truth is, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
> black lung prevalence has only increased in recent years. In fact, over the past
> decade, black lung has taken the lives and devastated the families of more than
> 10,000 coal miners. It’s not just affecting our older workers, either – more and more,
> we’re seeing this disease appear in our younger miners as well.
MSHA chief Joe Main made an impassioned presentation in this video.
Back to those policy wonks and bureaucrats and business folks that keep telling me to accept the collateral damage of coal mining and coal burning–welcome to the anatomy of denial.
Right after Christmas in 1973, my grandfather received the largest check in his life, $8,347, as part of his settlement for denied payments for black lung disability from the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. It took a subsequent Black Lung Benefits Act of 1972 to actually dislodge the proper funds for ailing coal miners.
Denial has always been part of the miner’s fate and the mine owner’s ways.
In 1831, a doctor in Edinburgh, Scotland, made the first autopsy and diagnosis of an afflicted coal miner who died from breathlessness, coughing, and chest pains. The doctor opened up his patient and found lungs of “black carbonaceous colour.” He recognized that the illness derived from “the habitual inhalation of a quantity of coal dust with which the atmosphere of a coal-mine must be constantly charged.”
Nearly a century later, despite the mounting death toll from “miner’s lung,” coal companies, and the governmental agencies under their thumbs, still denied the existence black lung, and went so far as to have their company doctors declare that the inhalation of coal dust made a miner “immune to tuberculosis.” )
In 1919, during a nationwide strike, the United Mine Workers called for protection from coal dust and its black lung counterpart, and noted that the need for a shorter work day was actually the result of “miner’s asthma.” Nonetheless, the health hazard of coal dust went unnoticed for decades.
In fact, despite various state initiatives for examinations and medical care, it took an aggressive campaign by the United Mine Workers in the late 1960s for the issue to be recognized on a federal level. Even then, it wasn’t until a mining disaster in West Virginia, which took seventy-eight lives, that President Richard Nixon begrudgingly signed the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, which included the Black Lung Benefits Program, into law. An estimated 250,000 coal miners have died from black lung disease; a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study found that 10,000 miners have died from black lung in the last decade. Three times as many suffered an agonizing fate of respiratory problems throughout their lives.
The miners gave their lives; the taxpayers, not the coal companies, picked up the bill. Over the past four decades, the Black Lung Benefits Program has cost more than $44 billion. Although the law mandated the program to be funded by the coal industry, a report by the Environmental Affairs Board at the University of California in Santa Barbara found that the mining companies had “borrowed $8.7 billion from the federal Treasury since the program’s inception. This taxpayer-funded shortage is expected to increase to $68 billion by 2040.” The reported concluded: “Black lung compensation, a cost associated directly with the operation of the coal industry, is a serious expense borne by the public. This expense
does not show up on the utility bill, but is paid for by consumers nonetheless.”
For a Republican-led Congress about to take over Washington, DC, I hope the fate of the coal miners and their families and communities–and our nation’s dependence on dirty and deadly coal–is not overlooked.
Perhaps they may even begin the discussion of a GI Bill for coal miners, as part of a commitment to a just transition in the coalfields for a clean energy and sustainable future–for coal miners, too.http://www.dol.gov/dol/media/webcast/20101013-coal/20101013-coal.htm
Whenever... more
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Chilean miner Edison Peña was in town to prepare for his marathon run when he decided to sing a bit of Elvis.
Chilean miner Edison Peña was in town to prepare for his marathon run... more
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It’s a story that will have the every Latino A-list actor gagging for the part - a poor handsome miner stuck underground for 69 long days, being able to keep his sanity only by running mile after mile in the mines, gets rescued in the most spectacular way with the world watching his every step, and then as icing on the cake (and the end scene of the movie) run the New York marathon in under six hours. Yes, it has Oscar gold dust sprinkled all over it. Edison Peña, one of the 33 miners who had been trapped underground in Chile for 69 days, was rescued on the 13 October. When the news of his running antics came out in the press Mary Wittenberg, CEO of New York Road Runners, the organisation behind the city’s marathon, invited Peña to New York to watch the marathon. Already showing the diva quality of a future star, Peña retorted that simply wasn't good enough - he wanted to run in it.For Peña the marathon represented proof that "running makes you free", he said, before the race.All along the marathon, Chilean flags flew, and Peña returned the love. "He's hitting so many of those high fives!" said one sports presenter. But mere hand slaps were never going to overwhelm Peña. Despite having to slow to a stroll at one point and making a brief stop to ice his leg, Peña, the 12th miner and runner 7127, picked up to a steady trot towards the end and crossed the finish line at 3:30, making his time come in at a sliver under 6 hours, as was his goal.In New York, he has proved the perfect celebrity storm, combining his extraordinary back story with an endearing humility and infectious excitement. There was a hint of future celebrity potential when he said that he had entertained his fellow miners by singing Elvis Presley songs, something David Letterman was quick to pick up on – during his interview, Peña started humming Suspicious Minds and the house band started to play it, making the miner burst out in a song and dance, enough to make the coldest of hearts a little bit warmer. It has already become a YouTube hit.
It’s a story that will have the every Latino A-list actor gagging for the... more
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The fate of the trapped miners was only known when a note was attached from a drill telling the world all 33 were alive. The miner Joe Pjeda who wrote the note now owns the copyright.
"Jose Ojeda penned the note "Estamos bien en el refugio los 33" ("We are okay in the refuge, the 33 of us") which was discovered attached to a probe 17 days after the mine collapse.
The message brought hope to the nation and was seen on many flags, mugs, and T-shirts during the rescue operation."-BBC
By gaining copyright they hope the words used will not be mis-used in the future and no one else will profit from them.
"AFP quotes Mario Gomez as saying: "I'm extremely exhausted from being besieged by the press, tired of all the events and appointments with officials... I hope that all of this quiets down pretty soon"."-BBCThe fate of the trapped miners was only known when a note was attached from a drill... more
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A dawn explosion in a Chinese coal mine has killed 20 workers and trapped a further 17 underground.
The blast happened at 6am local time this morning and came shortly after the world was riveted by Chile's dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners who spent more than two months underground.
It remains unclear how far underground the 17 trapped workers are at the state-owned mine in the country's central region, a spokesman with the state work safety administration said.
He had no details on the cause of the blast in Henan province, a couple of hours outside the provincial capital of Zhengzhou, about 430 miles south of Beijing.
China Central Television originally reported that more than 30 people were trapped and 20 killed, but the spokesman said the earlier number of people reported trapped included the dead workers.
Today's blast happened in a pit owned by Pingyu Coal & Electric Co. Ltd, the state-run Xinhua News Agency cited mine officials in Yuzhou city as saying.
China's mining industry is the most dangerous in the world, and more than 2,600 people died in mining accidents last year.
The Chinese government has shut down more than 1,600 small, illegal coal mines this year as part of an effort to improve safety standards, the state-backed People's Daily newspaper reported on Thursday.
However, an unknown number of illegal mines still exist to profit from the fast-growing economy's huge appetite for power.
China had its own stunning mine rescue earlier this year, when 115 miners were pulled from a flooded mine in the northern province of Shanxi after more than a week underground. The miners survived by eating sawdust, tree bark, paper and even coal.
Some strapped themselves to the walls of the shafts with their belts to avoid drowning while they slept.
Henan province was the scene of one of China's deadliest mining disasters on record, a gas explosion in the Daping mine that killed 148 in October 2004.
At least 195 people were killed in mining accidents in Henan this year during August, according to the provincial coal mine safety bureau.
China's mines had 6,995 fatalities in 2002, the deadliest year on record.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1321110/Explosion-Chinese-coal-kills-20-traps-17-underground.html#ixzz12c1UTuRRA dawn explosion in a Chinese coal mine has killed 20 workers and trapped a further 17... more
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A diferencia de los que sucedio en CHILE en CHINA el final es tragico.
Rescuers are battling dangerous conditions to try and free 16 miners trapped after an explosion at a mine in central China on Saturday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAF_8pCIzrIA diferencia de los que sucedio en CHILE en CHINA el final es tragico.
Rescuers are... more
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Yep the web supplies a little flash game allowing you to control a flash Phoenix capsule to rescue 33 trapped Chilean miners. You have to spin a wheel to make the capsule move, so seems more better placed as a iphone or ipod game.
"This is genius. (Although you probably won’t finish it.) Chilean tech and design firm Root33 has made a playable Flash game called Los 33"-Neatorama
http://www.geekosystem.com/the-chilean-miner-rescue-flash-game/Yep the web supplies a little flash game allowing you to control a flash Phoenix... more
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It's been over two months since the 33 Chilean workers were trapped a half mile underground in the San Jose mine. Now their return to the surface of the earth looks like a reality. Here, some answers to questions about the rescue effort.
How did the miners become trapped underground?
On August 5, the northern Chile mine collapsed, trapping all 33 miners inside. What could have been a tragedy has become an amazing tale of survival — in fact, it is the longest underground survival ever recorded.
How long will it take to rescue each miner?
One miner at a time will ride in a 13-foot-long, custom-built, 926-pound capsule. The ride to the top is expected to take 15–30 minutes through a 2,040-foot tunnel.
What are the ages of the oldest and youngest miners?
The eldest, Mario Gomez, is 63. While eight miners are in their 20s, the youngest is 19-year-old Jimmy Sandez.
What is the biggest danger in the rescue?
The tunnel has been reinforced with steel to support some areas of the mine walls that showed cracks. The steel is meant to prevent rocks from breaking loose and wedging the capsule in place. This is the greatest risk to the rescue, since the cable-supported capsule has only about two inches of clearance on either side. There is an escape hatch if a miner needs to get out of the capsule.
How are the miners preparing for their exit?
The miners have switched to a high-calorie liquid diet to prevent nausea and taken aspirin to combat high blood pressure. The men will each be equipped with a 90-minute oxygen tank and protective helmets. Miners will wear sunglasses to help adjust to the outside light. The workers will be in contact with the outside engineers by two-way radio headsets.
Who will be the first and last out?
While this plan could change, the first miner expected to be rescued is believed to be Florencio Ávalos, the 31-year-old who served as cameraman for most of the video recordings the world saw. Then the most skilled will go, followed by the sickest. And finally, the strongest will be last. It is expected that the final miner to be pulled up will be the shift foreman, Luiz Urzua, who, according to ABC News, has shown "inspiring leadership throughout the ordeal."It's been over two months since the 33 Chilean workers were trapped a half mile... more
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According to the Chilean miners rescue live telecast, the 13th miner out of 33 miners have been recovered. Chilean miners rescue live telecast is available all around the world.According to the Chilean miners rescue live telecast, the 13th miner out of 33 miners... more
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mky786
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1 year ago
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I watched Chris Matthews’ of Hardball Fame while he reported on the beginning Rescue Operations of the Chilean Miners, until it had gotten so laden with gobbledygook that I couldn’t take it any longer and turned the channel. When Matthews (trying so hard to fill time) started in with a spiel about how the miners came from generational mining families and even went so far as to say something like… These miners come from families with a long tradition of mine work. It’s in their blood, handed down from father to son (paraphrasing)… Actual quote below:
MATTHEWS: “Let‘s talk about the culture of the miner. You know, I grew up with it only in the movies, basically, “How Green Was My Valley” and the guys, the old Welsh coal miners going underground in terrible conditions. And today, of course, still in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, you‘ve got that tradition of guys going down there, coming up with their faces covered with soot and having to take a shower, and obviously, that bonding that goes on. But the guts it takes just to go down there every morning with your lunch bucket and your light on your helmet—what is that about? Is it a certain kind of person? Is it inherited from father and son, the guts that it takes to be a working guy a mile or so beneath the surface of the earth 40 hours week?”
All I could manage to mumble, before I turned to something more interesting like an “All in the Family” rerun was… Holy baloney, where is this man coming from? These miners are down deep in the Earth digging for metals to help make the rich, richer… BECAUSE... It’s a damn job and they do it to put food on their family table. They risk their lives because the Chilean government is in cahoots with the corporate world and allow (with little or no regulation) the corporatehoodlums to get away with unsafe practices so they can accumulate more wealth and more power. (sound familiar?)
Today I came across this article (Chile's Ghosts Are Not Being Rescued)
http://www.truth-out.org/chiles-ghosts-are-not-being-rescued64160
which begins with:
The rescue of 33 miners in Chile is an extraordinary drama filled with pathos and heroism. It is also a media windfall for the Chilean government, whose every beneficence is recorded by a forest of cameras. One cannot fail to be impressed. However, like all great media events, it is a facade.
The accident that trapped the miners is not unusual in Chile and is the inevitable consequence of a ruthless economic system that has barely changed since the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Copper is Chile's gold, and the frequency of mining disasters keeps pace with prices and profits. There are, on average, 39 fatal accidents every year in Chile's privatized mines. The San Jose mine, where the trapped men work, became so unsafe in 2007 it had to be closed - but not for long. On 30 July last, a labor department report warned again of "serious safety deficiencies," but the minister took no action. Six days later, the men were entombed.
What a world we live in where truth is chewed up, spit out and swept under the proverbial carpet so that those at the top of the heap can stay up there and paint reality any which way they wish; while those who live at the bottom, in a real world of victimhood, are subjugated by those who hold all the keys.
If you would rather read some bitter truth instead of being spoon-feed sugarcoated BS by the media, read the rest of this startling article HERE. http://www.truth-out.org/chiles-ghosts-are-not-being-rescued64160
thinkingblue
PS: I am thrilled that the miners were rescued, one of my favorite fables is THE ONE LITTLE STARFISH story, http://www.thethinkingblue.com/2000/miguel/miguel1.html
which goes something like this:
One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.
Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"
The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."
The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"
Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"
Until our species can escape the Greed that grips it, inhumanity towards one another will sadly continue.I watched Chris Matthews’ of Hardball Fame while he reported on the beginning... more
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According to the CNN miners' updates, the process is going more smoothly as expected by the authorities. The health minister of Chile has told CNN that “things are going extraordinarily well so far.According to the CNN miners' updates, the process is going more smoothly as... more
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mky786
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Miners in Chile who were trapped underground for more than two months has been pulled to the ground and everyone in the country was jubilant. the miners in Chile who were trapped underground for more than two monthsMiners in Chile who were trapped underground for more than two months has been pulled... more
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mky786
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Chile miners are back on the surface and are having safe health conditions and the process of pulling remaining Chile miners is in progress. Following Chile miners have reached the surface safely.Chile miners are back on the surface and are having safe health conditions and the... more
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mky786
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