MSHA

Just a few months ago, the U.S. coal mining industry was on track for its safest year in history. But in an eleven-day span in late December, three miners died after separate incidents, bringing the total number of fatalities in 2018 to 12, even as coal mining employment continued its decline.

“It is a reminder to enforcement agencies and companies who are responsible for miner safety that you always have to be vigilant, you can never let up your guard,” Kentucky lawyer and mine safety advocate Tony Oppegard said.

After a federal Court of Appeals rejected an industry-led challenge last month, a new federal rule to reduce coal miners’ exposure to dangerous dust goes into effect Monday.

Madisonville will house the nation’s fourth Mine Safety and Health Administration emergency response center.

MSHA’s Kevin Stricklin says the new center starts operations in early spring. Stricklin says having those capabilities in Madisonville reduces mining disaster response time in the Midwest by around eight hours.