Most of the fines are not high enough to have a real deterrent effect. If the operators know they're not going to have to pay the fines, or that they will be minimal fines, they just factor that into the cost of doing business.

Tony Oppegard

Deterrent Effect High Not Operators

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Basically, if you see 73 accumulation violations, that's a sign of a mine operator who is not too concerned with safety. It's troubling if you see that many.

— Tony Oppegard

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If you have a foreman who is not doing pre-shift examinations properly, you should discharge that person, because every miner working there is relying on that person.

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It's the next enforcement step and it's never used.

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With the price of coal so high, you have operators coming out of the woodwork, trying to get into any seam of coal they can to make a quick buck, opening up a lot of little dog holes.

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You can't expect miners to come in and testify about unsafe conditions in the mine when you have their employers across the table from them.

— Tony Oppegard

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