There's some troubling news about mine safety coming from a report by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding the responsibilities of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) on the August, 2007 Crandall Canyon tragedy where nine miners and/or rescue workers died.

An audit released by the Inspector General's office concludes that the Mine Safety and Health Administration was "negligent" in its actions surrounding the approval for the Crandall Canyon mine plan.

“This report validates what the UMWA has maintained from the very beginning of the investigation: MSHA did not follow its own regulations and procedures, was bullied by the mine operator, and did not take all the steps required to keep miners safe underground," United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts has stated.

“We’ve argued for years that many at the upper levels of MSHA are more interested in helping mine operators increase production than they are in helping miners stay safe," he adds.

The Bush administration has remained quiet on the audit report while the U.S. Senate will soon resume hearings into the Crandall Canyon disaster. Questions are expected about the operation of the Utah mine as well as the government's response. The families of the miners and rescue workers need some answers.

Coal mining remains one of the most dangerous jobs in America. The government, while it encourages alternative energy sources from oil, also needs to provide adequate oversight of mine safety and worker safety. Tragedies like Crandall Canyon need to be prevented.