WV lawmakers take quick action to make mines safer

摘要

Not surprisingly, West Virginia lawmakers moved swiftly and unanimously to require new safety measures for the state's coal mines. Time will tell how much the legislation will impact mine production near term. New legislation pushed by Gov. Joe Manchin and passed by both West Virginia legislative houses will require mines to equip miners with electronic tracking devices and to stockpile oxygen for use in emergencies. Coal companies also may be fined 100,000 dollars if they do not report an emergency within 15 minutes. Such communication will be made through the newly created Mine & Industrial Accident Rapid Response System. The reliability of new wireless communication devices might not be totally clear at this point, though the consensus seems to be positive.