W.VA. MINE FATALITY COUNT CHALLENGED AS `ATROCITY'

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 10, 1992                   TAG: 9201100113
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, W.VA.                                LENGTH: Short
W.VA. MINE FATALITY COUNT CHALLENGED AS `ATROCITY'
West Virginia's coal mine fatality count in 1991 was an "atrocity," the head of the state's new Division of Coal Mine Health, Safety and Training told a group of state coal operators Thursday.
"We had 22 fatals last year, and that equaled our total of 1982," Director Steve Webber told the 19th annual West Virginia Mining Symposium.
But there are 32,000 fewer coal miners and 282 fewer coal mines than there were a decade ago, Webber said. "We don't have the activity that we had in 1982, but we do have the fatals. It's such an atrocity."
Webber's agency was formed in October in a revamping of the state Division of Energy. Since then, it has added five safety inspectors and a safety instructor.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB