[Vision2020] Mexican Mine Disaster

[Phil Nisbet]

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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