By Associated Press
Charleson, WV – The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration says it has warned eight mining operations across the country, including in Alabama, that they may face sanctions as repeat violators of health and safety rules.
The list includes coal operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama as well as a quarry in California and an iron ore mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
In Alabama, the warning notice went to the Oak Grove Mine in Jefferson County. A spokeswoman for Oak Grove's parent company, Pennsylvania-based PinnOak Resources, declined to comment.
Mine Safety and Health Administration director Richard Stickler says the purpose of these letters is to put mine operators on notice about the repercussions they face if they repeatedly disregard mine safety and health regulations.
The notification is the first step toward what could be temporary shutdowns of the operations.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)