Danger in the Mines

High oil prices have proved a boon for the coal industry, both in West Virginia and the nation, as operators have revived idled mines and added workers to boost production over the last several years.

But federal mine regulators actually cut their number of inspectors during that time by 18 percent, or double the rate a which mining operations increased nationwide, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration "not only missed required inspections, but they misled agency managers — and the public — about inspection completion rates," the article said.

The Gazette also draws from an U.S. Labor Department audit of the agency that shows "the lapses were most serious in Southern West Virginia, where 85 percent of the missed inspections occurred."