Why would the senate hold hearings on the Utah mine collapse?

Question

I mean, why is it any business of the Senate? It seems like they are always holding oversight hearings on stuff that seemingly has nothing to do with the government.

Also, if it's a case of safety laws not being followed, isn't that the responsibility of the judicial branch?

Answer 1

Probably because mining is a dangerous operation, and their were controversial practices at the Utah mine. There are many laws governing how you are allowed to conduct mining operations, and the numbers of fines and violations being levied paints a picture that these guidelines are not being followed.

Answer 2

Oh, Honey, why would they NOT? I agree sometimes, it seems like these hearings are a way for some of the politicians to make themselves look good. However, in this case, these hearings are a good thing. Federal and state safety rules have apparently not been followed by the owners, lives have been lost and if there was wrong doing, don't you want those in the wrong to be held accountable? I do. I think these families deserve some answers, and if this is the only way to get those answers--so be it. There are reasons why we have these federal agencies that over-look some of these most dangerous jobs and companies and this just goes to prove their necessity.

Answer 3

It's just politics. Trying to farther smear the Republicans. The Democratic majority is looking for scandal. The disaster has focussed attention on Mr Murray, who owns a number of private coal mining companies and is a Republican party donor. Murray Energy Political Action Committee has given more than $155,000 (£75,000) to Republican candidates, including $30,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, since 2005, according to Federal Election Commission records. Mr Murray has also made personal contributions to the senatorial committee. Government mine inspectors have issued 325 citations against the Utah mine since January 2004, according to federal Mine Safety and Health Administration records. Of those, 116 were what the government considered "significant and substantial," meaning they were likely to cause injury. Davitt McAteer, the former head of the MSHA and now vice-president of Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, said the number of safety violations was not unusual. Earlier in the rescue effort, Mr Murray said that "only God" knew whether the trapped miners were alive and blamed the mine collapse on an earthquake. But seismologists said the collapse was the likely source of the seismic movement they recorded. Lee Siegel, a University of Utah spokesman, said: "Our seismologists at the University of Utah are careful not to rule out any possibility, but they tell me all of the available evidence indicates that the mine collapse itself was the earthquake." So now Senate thinks that Murray and the Republicans concocted the whole earthquake story as a cover up for safety issues. Around 30 miners are killed in the US every year. In January 2006, 12 miners died when a shaft in West Virginia collapsed. The incident sparked fury after officials declared most of the miners were alive, triggering newspaper headlines of a miraculous escape, only for authorities to admit hours later that just one man had survived.The fact that the Utah miners are seemingly being abandoned is additional evidence to the Democrats that there is a cover up in place, and the mine operator does not want them rescued. Thus the hearings.

Answer 4

because mining accidents after decreasing for many years have shot up again over the last 5 years or so

"Also, if it's a case of safety laws not being followed, isn't that the responsibility of the judicial branch?"

it certainly isn't, as part of it's legilative powers, congress has the power to investigate

Answer 5

Because the owner sat in front of a Senate Subcommittee, under oath, and lied thru his teeth that his records in all his mines were of complete safety, when in fact, just the opposite is true. He has blamed everyone except his failed retreat mining policies for the deaths of those human beings. Time he stood up and took the responsibilities for his crimes.

Answer 6

For the same reason they had hearings on the NFL Pension, they need to look like they are doing something. What they accomplish is involving the Federal Government in a myriad of crap it was never meant to be involved in. Then when it backfires, like Iraq, they claim stupidity as an excuse.

Answer 7

To see if the laws governing mine safety need to be improved and to see if the mine owner or the miners were violating these laws.

Answer 8

Because the Senate's approval rating is the lowest in history, and they want to try to improve it, no matter what.

Answer 9

Because there are federal regulations regarding worker safety and they need to know if current regulations were not followed and if current regulations need to be improved.

Answer 10

To make sure the safety was followed and everything was done to rescue them. Also, to get their names in the paper and get exposure and make it look like they are trying to protect the worker.