On March 16, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) put 15 mine operators around the country, including Celite Corporation in Lompoc, on notice for “potential patterns” of health or safety standards violations under the Mine Act of 1977.
According to a press release from the Department of Labor, the 13 coalmines and two metal/nonmetal mines compose the fourth round of mine operators to receive letters of notice under the administration’s enhanced enforcement initiative.
Based on data from a 24-month period ending on March 31, the administration determined Celite Corporation’s Lompoc diatomaceous earth mine might have a potential pattern of violations, potentially jeopardizing employee health and safety.
Celite Corporation, along with the 14 other mine operators, now has an opportunity to review and comment on the documents used to determine the potential pattern.
In a written statement to the Sun, Celite Corporation officials said after reviewing the documents, “[The company] believes there is no basis to support any conclusion of a pattern of violations finding at the Lompoc Plant. Celite will continue to work cooperatively with MSHA in this process.”
The statement also said Celite “believes that high standards of environmental, health and safety performance are essential,” and each employee is responsible for implementing policies and practices meant to identify and manage health and safety risks.
After reviewing the data, the companies may develop action plans to reverse the potential notification status. The administration will monitor each affected mine’s compliance record over a 90-day period. If the improvement falls short of the criteria, the Mine Safety and Health Administration will go through with the notice. And for each violation subsequently found, the body will issue an order removing miners from the affected area until the violation has been corrected.
In the written statement, Celite officials maintained that the company’s management has spent the last few years developing and executing a strategy emphasizing employee safety. Management has also invested “significant capital” in purchasing equipment to improve safety standards.
This article appears in Mar 19-26, 2009.