[Vision2020] Mexican Mine Disaster

[Mark Solomon]

Phil,

Reminds me of the bumpersticker distributed by 
mining industry advocates in the late 80's: 
"Earth First! We'll mine the other planets later."

Mark S.

At 9:32 AM -0800 2/20/06, Phil Nisbet wrote:
>Mark
>
>Actually Asarco was swallowed by Groupo Mexico 
>and then that firm stripped all of its overseas 
>assets and put it into bankruptcy here in the 
>US.  In the mean time, they also tried to break 
>the Union, renigged on clean up in the CDA and 
>are now trying to sell off the US bankrupted 
>remains of Asarco for a quick buck while the 
>copper price is high.
>
>Overseas companies are busy as beavers right now 
>swallowing up our North American resource 
>companies.
>
>BASF (German) is trying to eat Engelhard, just 
>as IMERYS (French) ate a string of US Industrial 
>Minerals Companies.  The Peruvians bought out 
>Feldspar Corp.  Unimin (Belgian) and Hansons PLC 
>(British) control most of the indsutrial sand 
>and gravel here.
>
>Its hard to find an American mining company any 
>more and most of those with majority US 
>ownership are still listed in Canada if they are 
>public.
>
>Phil Nisbet
>
>>From: Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com>
>>To: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Mexican Mine Disaster
>>Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 08:43:03 -0800
>>
>>Phil,
>>
>>For an outsider it's hard to keep track of 
>>who's who in the mining industry these days as 
>>former US corporations transfer their assets 
>>and "ownership" overseas, but isn't Grupo 
>>Mexico the outfit that used to be known locally 
>>as Asarco? Not that ownership necessarily has 
>>anything to do with mine safety. Prayers sent.
>>
>>Mark Solomon
>>
>>At 1:56 AM -0800 2/20/06, Phil Nisbet wrote:
>>>Those who have the desire to might wish to say 
>>>a prayer for the miners trapped down in this 
>>>mine in Mexico.
>>>
>>>Oxygen Limited for Trapped Mexican Miners
>>>By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press Writer
>>>
>>>SAN JUAN DE SABINAS, Mexico - A gas buildup in 
>>>a northern Mexico coal mine triggered a 
>>>pre-dawn explosion Sunday, trapping 65 miners 
>>>who were only carrying six hours of oxygen. 
>>>Emergency officials were slowly tunneling 
>>>through the debris, hoping they had access to 
>>>fresh air and had survived.
>>>
>>>At least eight miners who had been near the 
>>>mine's exit when the explosion occurred were 
>>>rescued and hospitalized with burns and broken 
>>>bones. None of the injuries was considered 
>>>life-threatening.
>>>
>>>Union and company officials said they believed 
>>>there were 65 miners trapped throughout the 
>>>mine, near the town of San Juan de Sabinas, 85 
>>>miles southwest of Eagle Pass, Texas.
>>>
>>>Sergio Robles, director of Coahuila state's 
>>>emergency services, said the trapped miners 
>>>were carrying six hours of oxygen with them 
>>>and were located one to three miles from the 
>>>mine's entrance. Nearly 20 hours after the 
>>>explosion, rescue officials — slowed by toxic 
>>>gases, including carbon monoxide — had not 
>>>been able to make contact with the miners, and 
>>>it was unclear if fresh air was reaching them.
>>>
>>>When asked if officials believed the miners 
>>>survived the explosion, Robles said: "It would 
>>>be difficult because of the presence of gas. 
>>>But we are holding out hope of finding someone 
>>>alive."
>>>
>>>Juan Rebolledo, vice president of 
>>>international affairs for mining giant Grupo 
>>>Mexico, which owns the mine, said rescue teams 
>>>were taking turns carefully removing debris 
>>>that had clogged the steep shaft.
>>>
>>>"It's slow work because of the quantity of 
>>>debris," he said. Officials were planning on 
>>>working throughout the night.
>>>
>>>Robles said rescue officials had advanced up 
>>>to 300 yards into the mine after working 
>>>nearly 20 hours. It was unclear when they 
>>>would reach the miners. The explosion occurred 
>>>around 2:30 a.m. local time Sunday.
>>>
>>>Rebolledo said oxygen tanks were scattered 
>>>throughout the mine, but it was impossible to 
>>>know if the trapped miners had access to them.
>>>
>>>Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira Valdes, who was 
>>>at the site overseeing the rescue operation, 
>>>told Televisa network that the mine's 
>>>ventilation system was still working.
>>>
>>>Officials had cordoned off the area, and 
>>>worried family members waited outside the 
>>>security zone for information. As night fell, 
>>>many built bonfires and wrapped themselves in 
>>>blankets to guard against the cold.
>>>
>>>Among them was Norma Vitela, who heard on the 
>>>radio that her husband, 47-year-old Jose Angel 
>>>Guzman, was trapped. Guzman, a father of four, 
>>>had worked in the mine for 16 years, earning 
>>>$76 a week.
>>>
>>>"Now we are waiting for a miracle from God," she said.
>>>
>>>Vitela said her husband had mentioned before 
>>>that there were problems with gas in the mine, 
>>>but he could not afford to quit.
>>>
>>>Consuelo Aguilar, a spokeswoman for the 
>>>National Miners' Union, said union officials 
>>>were also there to assist in the rescue.
>>>
>>>She said there has been concern over safety 
>>>conditions in Grupo Mexico mines and called 
>>>for an investigation to determine the exact 
>>>cause of the accident and the responsibility 
>>>of any company officials.
>>>
>>>"We have pressured for better safety 
>>>conditions as well as for better pay at the 
>>>mines," she said.
>>>
>>>Pedro Camarillo, a federal labor official, 
>>>told reporters at the site that officials 
>>>found nothing unusual during a routine 
>>>evaluation on Feb. 7.
>>>
>>>Rebolledo said safety conditions at the mine 
>>>met Mexican government requirements as well as 
>>>international standards.
>>>
>>>"We follow all the best safety procedures, but 
>>>accidents can always happen," Rebolledo said.
>>>
>>>The company discusses safety conditions with 
>>>the union in annual meetings and there has 
>>>been no major disagreement on the issue, he 
>>>said.
>>>
>>>As well as mining coal, Grupo Mexico is the 
>>>world's third-largest copper producer, with 
>>>operations in Mexico, Peru and the United 
>>>States.
>>>
>>>There have been various fatal mining accidents 
>>>in Coahuila. The worst was in 1969 when more 
>>>than 153 miners were killed in a pit at the 
>>>village of Barroteran. In 2001, another 12 
>>>people died in an accident at a mine near 
>>>Barroteran.
>>>
>>>Last month, 14 miners died in two separate 
>>>accidents at mines in West Virginia. Two men 
>>>died in a fire Jan. 21 at a mine in Melville, 
>>>nearly three weeks after 12 men died after an 
>>>explosion at the Sago mine near Tallmansville.
>>>
>>>U.S. rules require miners to carry oxygen 
>>>tanks that provide only about an hour's worth 
>>>of air. There is evidence that some of the 
>>>miners killed in the Jan. 2 Sago mine accident 
>>>used their oxygen devices, yet it took 
>>>rescuers more than 40 hours to bring the 
>>>victims above ground.
>>>
>>>In Canada last month, 72 potash miners walked 
>>>away from an underground fire and toxic smoke 
>>>after being locked down overnight in airtight 
>>>chambers packed with enough oxygen, food and 
>>>water for several days.
>>>
>>>___
>>>
>>>Associated Press Writer Ioan Grillo in Mexico 
>>>City contributed to this report.
>>>
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