January 19, 2016

Manchin Statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Aracoma Mine Disaster

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued the following statement on the 10th anniversary of the Aracoma mine disaster:

“Today, Gayle and I join all West Virginians in remembering the brave miners we tragically lost 10 years ago at Aracoma. My thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones today, and I want them to know that the miners and their families will always be remembered. In their honor, we have passed historic legislation, which increased the number of emergency rescue chambers in mines and placed more than 40,000 new personal breathing devices in underground mines. However, today serves as a reminder that we must continue to make improvements so our miners’ lives are never in jeopardy. My number one priority is protecting the safety of our workers, and I will continue to fight to improve mine safety so our miners are always able to come home safely.” 

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