Upper Big Branch, W. Virginia Mining Accident

Last Friday, April 10,  West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin addressed his state through tearful eyes and a barely audible voice saying, "We did not receive the miracle we prayed for...So this journey has ended and now the healing will start."

Gov. Joe Manchin was referring to the tragic Upper Big Branch mining accident the worst mining accident in the United States since a 1970 mining accident in Hyden, KY that killed 38 miners. In the present case, 29 miners were killed.

The official cause of the methane-fueled explosion is still under investigation. But according to The Register-Herald newspaper of Beckley, W.V.,  officials speculate a spark may have caused the explosion from a mantrip, the cable car that carries miners into the mineshafts.

The long and painful journey began with an explosion on April 5. On the same day, rescuers hoped to find surviving miners in the two rescue chambers (ventilated and secured with items for survival).

But high levels of methane and carbon dioxide forced the rescuers retreat to higher levels. By April 6, 11 bodies had been recovered and 14 were still missing.

On April 8, rescue efforts were abandoned completly because of high levels of methane gas detected.

On April 9, it was discovered that another explosion had taken place, making it too dangerous for rescuers to do their jobs. Later on that day, four of the remaining bodies were recovered bringing the total death toll to 29.

According to The Guardian, Massey Energy Co., the owners of the Upper Big Branch mine have been cited for over 57 safety infractions and was fined a total of $382,000 for serious infractions in 2009.

On a less personal level lies the politics of coal, especially in Appalachian states such as West Virginia. Democrats are typically seen as being against coal mining because of their constant support of increasing regulations on the coal industry. Democrats have been blamed for the loss of many mining jobs in the region. This spells out bad news for 17-term Democratic Representative Nick Ranhall who represents Raleigh County, W.V., where the mining accident took place.

On the other hand, Ranhall's challenger former state Supreme-Court Justice Elliot Maynard has problems of his own with which to deal. He has a close friendship with Don Blankenship, an executive at Massey Energy Co. Blankenship is known for his attempts to sway government to Massey's side through extremely generous campaign contributions.

As the government and the media begin to scrutinize Massey Energy Co., Maynard's friendship with Blankenship may prove injurious to his campaign. 

All politics aside, the federal government and the West Virginia state government are taking this incident very seriously. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with officials from the Office of Labor, including Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, as well as well as the officials from the office of Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to review mining safety regulations.

The MSHA was created in 1968 after the Farmington, W.V mining incident that killed 78 miners. According to the Labor Department, the MSHA wields the power to levy fines, give out citations, and temporary shut down mining operations that do not respond to violations in quickly enough, but it does not have the right to permanently shut down mining operations.

As a result of the tragic happenings at the Upper Big Branch coalmine, Congress will also be reviewing mining safety regulations. Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who sponsored mining reform in 2006 after the incident in Sago, West Virginia cautioned against jumping the gun and instituting new regulations before the investigation into what happened at Upper Big Branch is completed.

By Sunday April 11, families were saying their final good-byes to the 29 miners who perished. USA Today reported Pastor Donnie Russell, who presided over Deward Scott's funeral as having said, "everyday a man goes in that mine, it's always a question in his heart whether he'll come out again." Labor Secretary Hilda Solis implied that the answer could be yes when she said that all mining accidents are preventable.