Abstract:
Why has it taken a disaster like Sago Mine, the death of 12 good men, the loss of wages, and the grief of this entire nation to see the need to address safety issues in the Appalachian coalfields? Coal is the backbone of this nation – that’s no secret. Coal is booming at this time but what about the coal miner? Little is known about the Appalachian coal miners. These miners have more at stake than a job here in these old mountains – buried underneath this black gold is his very soul. He will do whatever it takes to stay here on his little farm, crawl on his knees all day – work on his back in 2 foot coal so that he can hunt, fish and enjoy the cool mountain breeze.