One of the feistier Delegates in recent memory, Republican Cindy Frich of Morgantown, is now appearing as a regular columnist in the Morgantown Dominion Post.

Because so few papers in the state actually have Republican columnists, we should do our best to support Cindy’s effort by visiting the Dominion Post and letting them know yuo are pleased they are giving a Republican voice this opportunity.

Her first article from last Sunday is below!

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Ultimate fast track for safety

RECENT EVENTS in Utah’s Crandall Canyon Mine have many West Virginians spell bound. Wounds have yet to heal here in West Virginia following the Sago tragedy and confusion most witnessed from a distance that holiday season not so long ago.

The nation was offered up only one promised miracle easing the despair for the 12 departed souls. But for West Virginia, the earth was to claim more bodies far too soon on the heels of Sago.

The Legislature was just beginning its 2006 regular session, not yet knowing the cause of the Sago disaster or the communications snafu with the families. The tone had been set by the governor’s State of the State address focused on safer mines. Before any legislative action had been taken, two miners died from a belt fire in Aracoma.

It felt as if that fire had spread into the chambers of the state Capitol. A common enemy and threat to the majority party’s continued rule could now absorb the blame. Don Blankenship [Massey Energy’s CEO and president] became the tar baby and scapegoat for many a grandstanding speech.

The stage was set once again to do something even if it was simply window dressing. Far too often in Charleston, there is little action without being prompted by crisis, whether real or perceived. What could we do? Very few legislators have mining experience and who can claim to be a safety expert?

Although not involved in the mining industry, I have been underground several times. At the face of a long wall mine, I have walked “where no man had walked before and no man will walk again,” as the roof disappeared behind my back. Even in more stable circumstances it is obvious that safety is a top priority in mining.

Yes, mines can be safer and rescue efforts can be improved. Can that be accomplished in six hours by the state Legislature? No, but Gov. Joe Manchin was on his time-table to deliver solutions to his admiring fans tuned into prime time CNN.

On the ultimate fast track, this bill never went through the committee process in the House of Delegates. However, delegates were given an opportunity in the House chamber to ask questions about the governor’s mine safety bill. I asked more than my share of questions about the self-contained, self-rescue units requirements, escape methodologies and communication devices.

The trouble is, we only had the governor’s representatives available to question about his legislation. We needed to be able to ask legitimate questions to experts other than those supporting the bill. We needed to be able to amend the bill, but were threatened not to.

This bill had been crafted around the key element of communication devices used in Australia which the former Clinton administration’s Mine Safety and Health Administration director, Davitt McAteer, touts.

They provide one-way communication, from the surface to the miner. The miner cannot respond.

These systems are even less practical in West Virginia than in Australia or Utah where the wiring can be placed untouched on the surface. In West Virginia they need to be buried and are vulnerable to destruction in cases such as explosion.

These communication devices were implemented in Utah’s Crandall Canyon Mine and they failed in assisting rescue of the miners who cannot respond. Messages were sent from the surface to the miners. Were the messages received? We may never know.

CINDY FRICH is a former, two-term, Republican member of the state’s House of Delegates. She can be reached via email at opinion@dominionpost.com.