The purpose of MSHA is to prevent injuries and deaths. The deaths, listed below, exclude deaths which occur later from dust inhalation, etc. Over the decades mining deaths have declined faster than mining has declined, meaning MSHA has been effective. Nonetheless, these are real people who died. Mining is also environmentally destructive and focus needs to be on recycling and renewable replacements for mined materials – things like conductive plastics.
Murray Coal executive, Bob Murray, has complained about MSHA inspections in his to-do list for VP Pence. His griping also shows that MSHA has/had been doing their job. Until recently, Trump VP Pence’s brother was a high level executive for Cummins, which sells engines to the mining industry. Additionally, Cummins is from Pence’s home town and has been a major donor to Pence over the course of his career.
Coal mining episode by John Oliver, over which Bob Murray sued him (suit was thrown out): http://youtu.be/aw6RsUhw1Q8
Additionally, based on data from US MSHA, Reuters calculated that at five Murray coal mines there was an injury rate of 6.35 per 200,000 work hours last year (2017), more than double the 2.79 of 2013, which was the last year CONSOL operated them. It’s also 70% above the US average for underground mines. See: “Injury rates jump at coal giant Murray’s West Virginia mines“, OCTOBER 25, 2018 / 7:35 AM , by Richard Valdmanis, Valerie Volcovici http://web.archive.org/web/20181025211423/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-coal-murray/injury-rates-jump-at-coal-giant-murrays-west-virginia-mines-idUSKCN1MZ1MH
“MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.
• Fatality Alert – describes the accident and lists best practices that might have prevented it
• Preliminary Report – initial report with brief description
• Final Report – investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions”