[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 117 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9720-S9721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL MINE RESCUE COMPETITION

 Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I am pleased today to report some 
good news with regard to mine safety and to congratulate FMC 
Corporation's White Team for being the best mine rescue team in the 
Nation. As we all know, the mining community experienced a profound 
loss this year with the disasters at the Sago and Aracoma coal mines in 
West Virginia and at the Darby Mine in Kentucky. The tragic loss of 
life in these accidents served to reaffirm the commitment of all those 
involved in the industry to ensuring and improving the safety and 
welfare of our Nation's miners.
  Essential to that effort, and emblematic of our commitment, was the 
passage of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response, MINER, Act 
of 2006. The MINER Act passed this body unanimously. It was then signed 
into law by President Bush and implemented by the Mine Safety and 
Health Administration, MSHA.
  As the primary sponsor of the MINER Act, I am confident that this new 
law will improve the safety of our underground mines and reduce the 
likelihood of similar tragic accidents in the future. In the careful 
and deliberate process of developing the MINER Act, the views of all 
stakeholders were solicited and carefully considered. Although in many 
areas there were differences of opinion, all those involved in the 
issue of mine safety were in agreement on the critical role played by 
mine rescue teams and universal in their praise of the dedicated 
individuals who serve on them.
  Rescue teams represent the very finest traditions of the mining 
community. Composed of volunteers, highly trained and experienced, 
these teams stand ready to come to the aid of their fellow miners in 
the most critical and dangerous of situations. The MINER Act explicitly 
recognizes the essential role of mine rescue teams and the importance 
of their training and support.
  Part of the training and the tradition of mine rescue teams is their 
participation in competitions that pit the teams against each another. 
Each year MSHA holds a national mine rescue competition that draws 
teams from throughout the United States. This year, the metal, nonmetal 
mine competition was held in Reno, NV. I am particularly pleased to 
report four teams from southwestern Wyoming placed in the top six spots 
in a field of 34 teams from across the Nation.
  The FMC Corporation White Team, which was led by Leroy Hutchinson, 
won the competition. The White Team

[[Page S9721]]

was followed by the FMC Red Team, led by Bob Knot. OCI Chemical's Blue 
Team, which was led by Gary Ruiz, placed fifth, and Solvay's Silver 
Team, which was led by Shawn Marshall, placed sixth.
  These teams represent the best of southwest Wyoming's soda ash 
industry. The four companies that mine the mineral Trona in Wyoming 
account for 90 percent of the U.S. production of soda ash. Soda ash is 
a commodity required for the production of glass. It is also a very 
important export that accounts for $500 million of our balance of 
trade.
  I am very proud of this year's showing by our Wyoming soda ash 
industry in this competition. It is important to remember that although 
this is a competition, it is not a sport. The National Mine Safety 
Rescue Contest and other mine safety rescue contests are training 
events. They help prepare mine rescue teams so they are ready to act if 
they are ever called to deal with a situation that we hope will never 
occur.
  When accidents happen, miners count on volunteer mine rescue teams to 
save them. Those mine rescue teams need to have the best resources 
available to them and the training they will need to be prepared for 
anything that may happen as they take on that important job. Mine 
rescue competitions play an important role in that effort by providing 
mine rescue teams with the kind of experience they will need if they 
are to perform at the highest level of efficiency in the event there is 
an emergency. They offer a chance for teams to improve their 
communication skills, to consider previously unforeseen problems, and 
to get feedback on their performance from contest judges.
  Although these teams compete against each other in mine rescue 
contests, when a real world situation arises, they operate as one 
cohesive unit to affect a rescue. Each company can draw on the good 
will and collective expertise of the mine rescue teams to help bring 
miners in danger to safety. In the spirit of brotherhood and 
cooperation, the teams know that if there is a mine emergency, they 
will have the support they will need to bring the victims of the 
accident and their fellow rescue workers out of the mine and home to 
their families and loved ones.
  In other words, while these companies compete in the marketplace and 
mine rescue teams compete in these contests, they will stand shoulder 
to shoulder should an accident occur at the mine.
  I would like to include the names of each of the participants of our 
teams in southwest Wyoming who competed in the national mine rescue 
competition. Although I particularly want to congratulate the FMC White 
Team, the FMC Red Team, OCI Chemical's Blue Team, and Solvay's Silver 
Team, I congratulate and thank all those who participated. Your efforts 
continue to make a difference by making our mines a safer place for all 
our Nation's miners to work.
  The information follows.

       FMC White Team: Leroy Hutchinson (Captain) (Benchman), Tony 
     Herrera, Alan Jones (Gas), Robert Byers, Brad Roll, Bronson 
     Berg, Vern Plantenberg, Mike Padilla (Team Trainer).
       FMC White First Aid: Robert Byers, Bronson Berg, Vern 
     Plantenberg.
       FMC Red Team: Bob Knott (Captain), Mark Anderson, Rick 
     Owens (Gas), Robert Pope, Bill Madura, Daniel Hellickson, Rod 
     Knight (Benchman), Mike Padilla (Team Trainer), Dave 
     Hutchinson (Team Trainer), Rick Steenberg (Official in 
     Charge), Robert Pope, Mark Anderson, Bill Madura.
       FMC Red First Aid: Robert Pope, Mark Anderson, Bill Madura.
       General Chemical Blue: Jeff Downey (Captain), Doug Cox 
     (Gas), Steve McKeehan, Mickey Smith, Willie Cederburg, Stan 
     Owens, Terry Hansen, Leslie Wareham (Benchman), Keith Mullins 
     (Team Trainer), David Graham (Official in Charge), Mickey 
     Smith, Terry Hansen, Steve McKeehan.
       General Chemical Blue First Aid: Mickey Smith, Terry 
     Hansen, Steve McKeehan.
       General Chemical Black: Alan Brewer (Captain), Byron 
     Willingham, Lucas Coon (Gas), Curtiss Cooley, Jr., Steve 
     Roberts, Tommy Graham, Ken Ball, Charles Beard (Benchman), 
     John E. Sykes (Team Trainer), David Graham (Official in 
     Charge), Steve McKeehan.
       General Chemical Black First Aid: Byron Willingham, Steve 
     Roberts, Curtiss Cooley, Jr.
       OCI White Team: Jack J. Volsey II (Captain), Chuck Jones, 
     Paul Larson (Gas), Ted Laughlin, Scott Counts, Kyle Butcher, 
     Willy Moore (Benchman), Nathan Kendall, Matt Cummings (Team 
     Trainer), Rick Terry (Team Trainer), Tim Musbach (Official in 
     Charge).
       OCI White First Aid: Chuck Jones, Ted Laughlin, Nathan 
     Kendall.
       OCI Blue Team: Gary Ruiz (Captain), Bill Mehle (Gas), Brent 
     Skorcz, Blake Barney, Dennie Hughes (Benchman), Don O'Lexey, 
     Richard Clark, Tyler Lovato, Rick Terry (Team Trainer), Matt 
     Cummings (Team Trainer), Tim Musbach (Official in Charge).
       OCI Blue First Aid: Blake Barney, Don O'Lexey, Dennie 
     Hughes.
       Solvay Silver Team: Shawn Marshall (Captain), Joe Thompson, 
     Bob Clement, Scott Brown (Benchman), Gerald Maxfield (Gas), 
     Brian Liscomb, Ryan Hansen, Dusty Martin, Jeff Tetmore (Team 
     Trainer), John Angwin (Official in Charge).
       Solvay Silver First Aid Team: Shawn Marshall, Joe Thompson, 
     Dusty Martin.
       Solvay Blue Team: Joe McDonald (Captain), Chad Rawlins 
     (Gas), Kent Boman, Jamie McGillis, Jerry Huntington, Brian 
     Quick, Jody Burgener, Dennis Hughes (Benchman), David 
     Stevenson (Team Trainer), John Angwin (Official in Charge).
       Solvay Blue First Aid Team: Joe McDonald, Kent Boman, Jamie 
     McGillis.

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