[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 14 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S870-S871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING COAL MINERS AND RESCUE CREWS IN WEST VIRGINIA

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 370, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 370) honoring the sacrifice and 
     courage of the 16 coal miners killed in various mine 
     disasters in West Virginia, and recognizing the rescue crews 
     for their outstanding efforts in the aftermath of the 
     tragedies.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today, together with Senator Rockefeller and 
the West Virginia delegation in the House, I have submitted a 
resolution honoring the 16 coal miners who perished this year in the 
State of West Virginia. They are: Tom Anderson, Alva Bennett, Jim 
Bennett, Jerry Groves, George Hamner, Jr., Terry Helms, Jesse Jones, 
David Lewis, Martin Toler, Jr., Fred Ware, Jackie Weaver, and Marshall 
Winans who perished in the Sago Mine in Upshur County, WV.
  They are Don Bragg and Ellery Hatfield who perished in the Aracoma 
Alma Mine in Logan County, WV.

[[Page S871]]

  They are Paul Moss and Edmund Vance who perished in separate mines in 
Boone County, WV.
  While the names of these coal miners have become known to many of us, 
we must not forget that there are many more coal miners whose tragic 
deaths are not chronicled in the national media. They die quietly in 
their homes of black lung disease. They die anonymously in mine 
accidents across the Nation. Their families mourn, their families 
grieve their loss without national attention.
  I pay tribute to all of those who have fallen in our Nation's mines 
and to their families who must bear their loss. A grateful Nation owes 
its eternal thanks.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I wish to associate myself with the 
remarks of my distinguished senior senator, Mr. Byrd, and rise to ask 
my colleagues to take up and adopt our resolution honoring miners in 
West Virginia and throughout this country who work hard in dangerous 
situations to provide energy this Nation needs.
  The attention of the world was focused on small towns in my State of 
West Virginia in the first two months of 2006. When 12 miners were 
found to have died in the Sago Mine in Upshur County in early January, 
the hopes and prayers of a global television audience were dashed along 
with those living the tragedy in the Sago Baptist Church.
  Americans and our friends around the world tuned in again when miners 
became trapped by a belt fire in the Alma Mine in Logan County later in 
January. I was sitting with the families of the trapped miners when 
they heard the news we were all dreading. It was a profoundly sad and 
moving moment, one I will never forget, and an experience which I 
cannot do justice to here.
  When tragedy struck again at two mines in Boone County it was almost 
more than any of us could bear. After these accidents, the Governor of 
my State of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, who has been a stalwart 
throughout these trying times, called for a temporary stand-down in 
West Virginia mines to reinforce and reinvigorate mine safety 
procedures. I was pleased to see that the Mine Safety and Health 
Administration, MSHA, came into West Virginia in numbers to assist 
State officials, and later instituted a 1-hour safety refresher for all 
U.S. mines under its authority. In Pennsylvania, Governor Rendell 
emulated Governor Manchin in calling for renewed safety training for 
mines throughout the Commonwealth.
  Mining, as we know, is an inherently dangerous profession, but it is 
a vital component in our Nation's economy. Without coal from 
Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, the Powder River Basin, and various 
other regions throughout the U.S., our economy shuts down. Coal 
provides more than half our electricity, and coal conversion 
technologies will soon allow America's most abundant mineral resource 
to provide transportation fuels and chemical feedstocks as well. If the 
United States of America is ever going to lessen its dependence on 
foreign sources of energy, you can be sure that the miners will lead 
the way. These are men and women who do a job most Americans understand 
little about, and until tragedy periodically reminds the Nation, most 
Americans probably do not even think about. Coal production is 
increasing across the country and around the world. Coal is on the 
rise, and safety has to be, too.
  Mine safety has been very much in the thoughts of every West 
Virginian these first two months of 2006. In 2005, West Virginia lost 
miners also, as did Alabama, Ohio, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. 
Mr. President, 2006 has already seen mine fatalities in Kentucky and 
Utah. As these tragedies show, and as MSHA's nationwide action and 
Governor Rendell's actions in Pennsylvania suggest, mine safety is a 
national issue and improving it must be a national priority.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 370) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 370

       Whereas coal generates more than half of domestic 
     electricity, providing millions of Americans with energy for 
     their homes and businesses;
       Whereas West Virginia is the Nation's second largest coal 
     producing State;
       Whereas an average of 7,600 pounds of coal per person per 
     year is used in the United States;
       Whereas the United States has an estimated 275,000,000,000 
     tons of recoverable coal reserves representing about 95 
     percent of all fossil fuel reserves in the nation;
       Whereas coal continues to be the economic engine for many 
     communities;
       Whereas coal miners are among the most productive of all 
     American workers, producing 7 tons of coal per miner per day, 
     which results in coal consistently being the most cost-
     effective choice for generating electricity in the United 
     States;
       Whereas during the last century over 100,000 coal miners 
     have been killed in mining accidents in the Nation's coal 
     mines;
       Whereas the Nation is greatly indebted to coal miners for 
     the difficult and dangerous work they perform to provide the 
     fuel needed to operate the Nation's industries and to provide 
     energy to homes and businesses;
       Whereas 13 West Virginia miners were trapped 260 feet below 
     the surface in the Sago mine for over 40 hours following an 
     explosion on January 2, 2006;
       Whereas Federal, State, and local rescue crews worked 
     relentlessly in an attempt to save the miners;
       Whereas many residents of Upshur County, West Virginia, and 
     the surrounding areas came together at the Sago Baptist 
     Church to support the miners' families;
       Whereas 12 miners, Thomas Anderson, Alva Martin Bennett, 
     Jim Bennett, Jerry Groves, George Hamner Jr., Terry Helms, 
     David Lewis, Martin Toler, Fred Ware Jr., Jack Weaver, Jesse 
     Jones, and Marshall Winans, lost their lives on January 3, 
     2006;
       Whereas only one miner, Randal McCloy, was safely rescued;
       Whereas 2 West Virginia miners were trapped by a fire in 
     the Aracoma Alma Mine on January 19, 2006;
       Whereas Don Israel Bragg and Ellery ``Elvis'' Hatfield lost 
     their lives in the Aracoma Alma Mine;
       Whereas 2 West Virginia miners lost their lives in separate 
     incidents in Boone County on February 1, 2006; and
       Whereas Edmund Vance perished in the Long Branch No. 18 
     Mine and Paul Moss perished at the Elk Run Black Castle mine:
       Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes Thomas Anderson, Alva Martin Bennett, Jim 
     Bennett, Jerry Groves, George Hamner Jr., Terry Helms, David 
     Lewis, Martin Toler, Fred Ware Jr., Jack Weaver, Jesse Jones, 
     and Marshall Winans for their sacrifice in the Sago, West 
     Virginia, coal mine;
       (2) recognizes Don Israel Bragg and Ellery ``Elvis'' 
     Hatfield for their sacrifice in the Aracoma Alma, West 
     Virginia coal mine;
       (3) extends the deepest condolences of the Nation to the 
     families of these men;
       (4) recognizes Edmund Vance and Paul Moss for their 
     sacrifice in the Boone County, West Virginia coal mines;
       (5) recognizes Randal McCloy for his stamina and courage 
     that enabled him to survive in severe conditions for over 40 
     hours;
       (6) recognizes the rescue crews for their outstanding 
     effort resulting in the safe rescue of Randal McCloy; and
       (7) recognizes the many volunteers who provided support for 
     the miners' families during the rescue operations.

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