No coal mine safety issues in Alaska

As coal mine safety leaped into the national spotlight this year, miners in Alaska and Canada thankfully have been left out of the loop. That's because Canada has only two underground coal mines and Alaska has none.

The only underground coal mine in Western Canada is on Vancouver Island and is a mostly mechanized operation with just 17 employees. Canada's other mine that fits the profile is located in Nova Scotia.

"It's primarily underground coal mining at issue, and we don't have any, right now," said Steve Borell, executive director of the Alaska Miners Association.

Alaska, however, is headed toward the development of underground coal mines in the future, Borell predicted.

Meanwhile, operators of underground hard-rock mines (Alaska has only two, the Greens Creek gold-silver-zinc-lead mine on Admiralty Island near Juneau and the Pogo gold mine near Delta Junction) are most likely watching the mine safety developments closely, Borell said.

Both mines are relatively new operations. "Every time you go underground, whether at Greens Creek or Delta Junction, safety is a concern" Borell said. "Every mine manager knows the importance of proper safety equipment."

Lower 48 deaths spark change

Sadly, much of the spotlight on the need for improved safety measures came after the deaths of 33 coal miners across the nation this year - 19 of those deaths in West Virginia.

The safety concerns emerged after an explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia in January and escalated after a similar blast in southeastern Kentucky in May.

The tragedies prompted the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration to toughen safety standards temporarily, as Congress prepared the first major overhaul of mine safety laws in nearly 30 years.

Borell said key concerns for miners who work underground include having enough emergency air supplies and having working equipment necessary to survive a disaster. These include the so-called self-rescuers, which enable miners to breath safely despite an atmosphere of carbon monoxide.

The new legislation, signed by President Bush June 15, requires miners to have two hours' worth of oxygen on hand while they work, rather than the one hour required under the old rule.

Known as the MINER Act, the legislation was endorsed by the United Mine Workers of America and the industry-backed National Mining Association.

The law also requires operators to leave extra air packs at various points throughout mines. Routine checks on the packs are also mandated.

New law poses challenge

Borell said one of the challenges for mine operators is where to store air supplies. "Underground coal mines are very spread out. If they have five or six entrances, some roads or passageways take in fresh air from outside, while others vent the underground air to the outside," he said. "These mines may cover many, many square miles, so where do you place the oxygen cylinders?"

Further, the new law requires operators to install new communications equipment in mines within three years to track lost miners. These devices must provide a minimum of one-way communication if a miner is trapped underground.

It also sets a deadline for development and deployment of two-way, wireless devices. Seals used to block off sections of mines are also addressed in the legislation. At West Virginia's Sago Mine, where 12 men died in January, seals made of lightweight fiberglass were used. These seals must be strengthened under the new law.

Also, the legislation requires rescue teams be within one hour's distance of mines instead of two hours, and it calls for timelier reporting of accidents.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that mine owners will spend up to $128 million to meet the new standards. Almost half the money will go toward putting together 260 mine-rescue teams.

Undoubtedly, the new requirements will increase the cost of safety programs at Greens Creek and Pogo, Borell said.

Greens Creek and Pogo safety officials did not return telephone calls.