Mine Workers in the Utah Mine Collapse
By granger1900
@granger1900 (125)
United States
August 14, 2007 11:41am CST
Listening to the news reports of the mine collapse in Utah is just heart-wrenching. From the beginning there was this uneasy feeling I had in receiving the news reports of the mine owner expounding on the situation with statements that seemed in such direct contradiction to the facts. I haven't honestly tried to evaluate all the information but have this gut feeling that there is a lot of spin going on.
The mine owner refers to seismic activity as if the collapse had nothing to do with mining and was a natural occurrence. Yet, in watching coverage on CNN where a reporter actually went into the mine, the earth rumblings they experienced were the result of a very dangerous form of mining where pillars of coal are used to maintain access to deeper mining and the actual weight of the mountain bears down on those pillars and causes their shifting and actual collapse.
Does anyone else find this disturbing?
It all seems somewhat barbaric and inhuman to me. And yet I know my electrical company uses coal for the energy I use to be on my computer. It is so disturbing that miner's lives are put in so much jeopardy despite repeated tragedies of the deaths in accidents. It wasn't that long ago people were glued to their TVs thinking a group of miner's lives had been saved, only to find out all but one had perished.
What is your reaction to the mine collapse? What is your response to the news coverage?
3 people like this
4 responses
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
14 Aug 07
I do find it disturbing. Mining is a dangerous occupation no matter how you look at it. I watched the mine ower speak and I really dont have much faith in him. It seems that every time we hear about a mine disaster, we then hear about the dozens even hundreds of safety violations these places have. And yet what do the mines do? Pay the fines and keep going. I wonder what no one has invented some kind of robotic miner. After all if they can do robotic surgery from miles away why not a robotic miner? Our government mine safety is also at fault because they dont seem to do much to solve and problems. Then again unions get in the middle too. We just need to keep praying for a good outcome and answers to keep this from happening again and again.
2 people like this
@granger1900 (125)
• United States
15 Aug 07
You make and excellent point about technology and robotics being used to enhance mining safety. I wonder if a lot of this is a matter of out of sight, out of mind, literally. In that, we don't see the difficulties and dangers of mining because it is usually out of sight until an accident generating national attention occurs.
@AmbiePam (93885)
• United States
15 Aug 07
I am probably over simplifying things, but this is the way I feel. If there is no machinery guaranteed to get trapped miners out within a day's time, I don't think anyone belongs down there. If we don't have the means to make a somewhat quick rescue, what are we doing here? I don't think this would close mines, I think it would prompt people to make new ways to incorporate machinery into a quicker rescue. New tools might be built if this were the rule. It's like someone telling me to step into a room. If I don't know for sure I'm coming back out, and no one has a fool proof plan to get me out, then I'm not going in and no one else should either.
1 person likes this
@granger1900 (125)
• United States
15 Aug 07
I don't think you're oversimplifying things. You are using logic. The reality of many situations defy logic!
Many miners do this work because they don't have any other options to support their families and unfortunately the people who own the mines operate from profit-centered motives that are contrary to safety measures that might cut severely into those profits. It is all so scary and dismal to think of.. how vulnerable those miners are in the very bowels of the earth with a mountain's weight on top of them.
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
15 Aug 07
I feel for the families. It would be a great miracle if the people in there are alive, but I do not think that they are. It has been more than a week now.
@IcyCucky (361)
• United States
15 Aug 07
I feel very sad about this. Last I heard was that they're still in the mine for 4 days. I was thinking about their physical strength, if they are still have any left. We are talking about human lives here, why isn't there an emergy plan for such disaster.
