New York Times: Don't delay mine-safety reform

Yesterday we reported Massey Energy was using a Charleston Daily Mail editorial calling for patience in mine-safety reform to lobby against West Virginia Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller's call for immediate reform. Now The New York Times has joined Rockefeller's plea. "Rather than wait months for the formal investigation of the Upper Big Branch explosion to play out, the West Virginia Democrat is appealing to President Obama for sensible immediate fixes," the Times writes in an editorial. "He is calling for new criminal penalties for the firing of miners who blow the whistle on neglected safety rules. He wants regulators to stop giving management a heads-up before inspections, and to have working miners walk the tunnels with federal safety inspectors so they can share their expertise about the real dangers."

"President Obama can order some of these changes immediately," the Times writes. "Reforming the appeals process also requires Congress to approve more funds to hire more hearing judges. Congress should also mandate that mining companies disclose their history of safety violations to shareholders, as a further market prod. Instead of waiting for the next tragedy, the White House and Congress should be working right now to make mining safer." (Read more)