Washington, DC- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chair of the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, released the following statement on the tragic death of two miners who died in a roof collapse at Patriot Coal’s Brody No. 1 Mine in Boone County in West Virginia, a mine that has been on MSHA’s pattern of violation (POV) list since last October:
“My heart goes out to the families of Eric Legg and Gary Hensley, who were killed in a roof collapse in a West Virginia underground coal mine yesterday. Any time a miner is injured or perishes on the job, we are reminded of the critical responsibility of operators and regulators to ensure safe working conditions for all miners.
We can't undo what happened and we can't take away the pain. But we can resolve to work together to give miners better protection and, clearly, we still have work to do. That's why I am an original sponsor of the Robert C. Byrd Mine and Workplace Safety and Health Act of 2013, which will strengthen protections for miners who voice concerns about unsafe working conditions and ensures that safety personnel are well-qualified.
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