Reporting on the mine disaster. Something troubles me..

Yesterday afternoon (Wed) I was listening to NPR, All Things Considered, while preparing dinner. From approximately 4:30 until about 5:30 (nearly an hour in any case) was devoted to reporting on the WV mine disaster.

So much detail on anything listeners would want to know about this. Interviews, including with a gentleman who related what happened at the church when the mine official came to tell the family members that the original report of survivors was incorrect. He said some people rushed the official, who just turned and walked out the door. Also they gave the names and a short bio of each victim.

I waited...and waited. NOT ONCE during this extraordinarily lengthy segment was anything said about the approx. 200 safety violations, about 21 of which had to do with potentially explosive conditions, IIRC, which the company had incurred the previous year. Nor about Bush cutting the funds for mine safety.

Now, this is an integral part of this whole story, IMO. At least as important as the various interviews and narrative, And it's not as if there wasn't time. (One hour?)

If anyone here heard ATC breathe a word regarding the safety issues, then I stand corrected. As I said, I was busy making dinner and could possibly have tuned something out, although I think reference to safety would surely have caught my attention.

I am appalled, but not surprised, that NPR would steer away from this most important part of the story. But it does help me to understand why those who are getting their news from the so-called MSM (including National PUBLIC Radio) are so ignorant of the facts of what's happening to this country.

Shame, NPR, for not telling the whole story!!

While I think they should have injected that in the discussion I have some sympathy for why they wouldn't. Bringing up the political angle while talking about families who have lost their lives could go very poorly for them.

Hopefully as the immediate impact recedes a bit, they will take the time to discuss why this disaster was allowed to happen.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

I suspect that NPR believes that by cluttering the story with details of corporate malfeasance it'll just bore the listeners.

Through their college affiliate in my state.

They interviewed an ex-mine inspector who reviewed the the whole list of violations and said many of the violations were "VERY SERIOUS" It seems like they were on this topic for around 5-10 minutes or so.

I'm wondering if some of the affiliates may be censuring?

is everywhere. The people I have talked to in WVa (I'm originally from there) told me that the reason for the initial "alive!" announcement and then the three hour delay before the "dead" announcement was to allow the company called SWAT team to arrive and set up.
When the miner's families found out that no air shafts had been drilled in (used to be the first thing to do-get air to the miners) they went home to get their guns. This should change a few votes from R to D...

"went home to get their guns." And that no air shafts had been drilled in? *sigh* I certainly hope this does wake up the people of WV.

secrecy. The bottom line is that the miners probably could have been saved by various means, including immediate air and communication shafts to their location. I don't know this for a fact because we've been given NO information about the actual rescue itself, a totally secrete operation for what should have been the most PUBLIC of processes.

...is why are these private companies (the mine) in charge of rescue & recovery. They waited more than two hours after the explosion to notify any authorities. Why was the mine in charge of notification of the families?

We had a train derailment in our city last year involving two cars in the downtown area early one morning. The railroad didn't notify our fire department until several hours later. Derailment 4:00am, notified authorities 7:00am. The news reports stated they don't have a legal obligation to notify authorities, unless they think they will need help.


AValdoux

operation. Usually the public is informed every step of the was as the operation progresses. This time, nothing but interviews with families and various other people who actually had no information about the rescue operation.

It's beginning to look like that if the miners had been reached or supplied earlier they all could have survived. What about the robot? It got stuck in the mud. They could have tried to re-engineer the tracks so that it could move. What about supply and communication shafts from the surface? (260 feet)

There was an air of secrecy about this rescue I've never seen before. Was the route to the main portal blocked by debris? Could rescuers with breathing apparatuses have walked to the miner's location? Were all of the delays due to fear of additional explosions? Wasn't anybody willing to take any chances? What were the risks? Weren't there some better robots available?

We need information. Who was in charge of the operation? Who were the rescuers?