...most lawmakers at the state and federal level have shown no regard for worker safety or toughening safety standards to crack down on scofflaw miners.
...Among them are Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, Republicans who recently introduced a bill falsely named the Coal Jobs Protection Act, aimed at speeding up approval of mining permits and getting the government off the backs of the industry.
The two senators seem indifferent to the fact that Kentucky leads the nation in delinquent fines owed by mine operators fined for safety violations. Kentucky mines owe $29.2 million of $73.6 million owed nationwide.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Deadbeat mines, delinquent fines
An editorial in today's Courier-Journal:
