Mine Agency to Require Stashes of Oxygen

WASHINGTON — Coal mine operators will soon have to store extra oxygen supplies underground and let federal officials know about accidents more quickly, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday.

The agency expects to publish a new emergency rule for mines within the next two weeks, agency spokesman Dirk Fillpot said.

The agency issues emergency rules only rarely. They go into effect immediately, which is a departure from the typical, lengthy federal rulemaking process.

Miners are currently required to wear oxygen packs that provide about one hour’s worth of air. The new rule would force companies to store additional oxygen in a readily accessible area.

The new rule also would require coal companies to notify the mine agency of an accident within 15 minutes.

It took about two hours for the agency to be notified of the Jan. 2 accident at the Sago mine in West Virginia, which left 12 miners dead. That accident, and others that followed, have spurred the federal agency and state lawmakers to take action.

A new West Virginia law also requires extra oxygen in that state’s mines, and requires coal companies to give miners emergency communication equipment that can help rescuers locate trapped miners.

“It appears that MSHA is trying to catch up with the state legislative activity on a number of these issues,” said Joe Main, formerly the top safety expert at United Mine Workers of America.