CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A coal mine in West Virginia had a long history of safety violations before a miner was fatally injured this week operating an excavator, according to local news reports.
Virgil Paynter, of Lynco, was operating an excavator at the CM Energy Operations LP surface mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said in a news release. The statement said Paynter was “fatally injured” but did not include details.
The death is being investigated by the state Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
It was the first reported coal fatality of the year in West Virginia and the second nationally, according to the administration. The other coal mine-related death occurred in January in Pennsylvania. There were nine such U.S. deaths last year.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported that the mine in Wyoming County had been cited by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration for more than 200 safety violations since early 2021. Of those, 25 were categorized as significant or substantial.
Topics Virginia West Virginia
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