Representative Miller Statement On Anniversary Of Sago Mine Tragedy

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman-Designate of the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today, which marks one year since the tragic explosion at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia, on January 2, 2006:

"One year ago today, our nation hoped and prayed for the best as rescue efforts got underway at Sago. But that hope soon turned to profound grief as we learned that 12 of the 13 miners trapped underground had not survived. This awful tragedy highlighted the very real dangers that coal miners face every day and the urgent need to improve mine safety. On this difficult day, our hearts and prayers are with the families of the 12 fallen miners, and with the lone survivor, Randal McCloy Jr.

"Forty-seven coal miners died in our nation's mines in 2006 alone, along with 25 metal and non-metal miners. While some initial steps have been taken towards addressing this crisis, there remains a great amount of work to be done in order to strengthen miners' protections and to enforce the laws and regulations already in place.  There are many questions that need to be addressed on an urgent basis.

"In the new Congress, we will conduct thorough oversight on the state of worker safety in America's coal and non-coal mines.  And as we continue to examine what went wrong at Sago and in other mining tragedies - and what we can do to prevent future tragedies - we will ensure that the voices of miners and their families are heard. The personal experiences and first-hand knowledge that miners and their families possess are vitally important sources of information that are critical to any thorough examination of miner safety.

"Over the past year I have met with many of the friends and family members who lost their loved ones at Sago, at Jim Walters, at Aracoma Alma, at Darby, and in other mining disasters. Their courage has been nothing short of extraordinary. No family should ever have to endure the pain and loss that they have felt. We must do everything in our power to strengthen our nation's mine safety laws so that all miners are able to return home safely to their families at the end of their shifts."