[Vision2020] Mexican Mine Disaster
Mark Solomon
msolomon at moscow.com
Mon Feb 20 10:32:41 PST 2006
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.
>>>
>>>_________________________________________________________________
>>>Dont just search. Find. Check out the new MSN
>>>Search!
>>>http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger!
>Download today - it's FREE!
>http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/
More information about the Vision2020
mailing list