Published September 2002 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Renewed Determination on Mine Safety
This summer, the nation was captivated by an amazing story of survival and determination. Nine miners managed to endure being trapped in a flooded Pennsylvania mine for nearly 72 hours until they were brought to safety by a crew of relentless rescue workers who were resolved to beat the odds. People from coast to coast watched events unfold until, thankfully, the last miner safely reached the surface. Communities in West Virginia and across the nation know all too well these tense vigils. They know the dangers that accompany coal mining. There will always be tragedies that can neither be foreseen nor prevented. In fact, the Department of Labor reports that last year there were 43 coal mining fatalities nationwide, including 12 deaths in West Virginia. That is why it is so important to train miners in the best ways to handle potential life or death situations. Recognizing the importance of mine safety, in 1969, I suggested that the federal government create a mine safety training facility to better prepare miners for the risks they face on a daily basis. In 1976, what is now known as the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Academy opened in Beckley. Since its inception, I have obtained more than $30 million for the Beckley mining academy, which played a crucial role in the rescue in Pennsylvania. Not only was the specialized rescue equipment used in Pennsylvania housed in Beckley, but many of the experts on the scene received their training from the Raleigh County facility. In fact, each year, the Mine Safety and Health Academy trains more than 3,000 men and women in mine rescue and survival techniques. The successful Pennsylvania rescue exemplifies how the proper training can bring a happy ending to even the most treacherous of situations. Early in the 20th century, coal mining took the lives of 1,000 to 3,000 coal miners each year. In the year before the academy was established in Beckley, 155 coal miners were killed in work-related tragedies. While Americans can look back with justifiable pride over the accomplishments of the National Mine Health and Safety Academy over the past quarter-century, we must not become complacent. Instead, we must renew our determination to do even better in the years ahead. I am thankful for the many lives saved by the skills taught at the mine safety academy, and it is my hope that the academy will continue to do the good work for which it was originally created. September 11, 2002