[Cinnamon]

It's Bush's fault... Rush Limbaugh predicted this mine incident would be somehow blamed on Bush by the libs and co... behold! the prophecy has come to fruition! lmao... this is getting ridiculous... whine whine whine

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I worked in coal mine operations in the 1980s and can tell you MSHA gives no slack on mine safety. The inspectors are professional, hardworking, dedicated your appeal is to their bosses at the Department of Labor, so you've got to watch your language.
I don't, however, understand how this particular mine was allowed to operate with so many violations. New ownership doesn't make any difference in enforcement. MSHA rates your fines on the history of violations, among other factors. The more you get, the more they cost and a lot of them can lead to a Cessation Order, which means coal mining stops.