Mining deaths on the rise

Monday, April 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Seven miners have died at work since the start of the fiscal year, which runs from October 1996 to September 1997. That includes three who died in underground gold mines, said Ed Tomany, the state's chief administrative officer for mine safety.

Eight miners died at work during the entire previous fiscal year, the Finance Committee was told last week.

"The reason for the increase in mining deaths is because mining has expanded," Tomany told the committee. "There are more people and a high influx of new miners. The mine staff recruits whoever is available."

Another reason is that Nevada's mining industry is going underground and that's a more dangerous venture, he said.

Nevada now has 16 mines operating underground, requiring additional safety considerations and demanding two new inspectors, he said. About 1,000 of the state's 14,200 miners work in underground shafts.

Underground shafts must be checked for adequate ventilation, hygiene and sturdy hoisting and ground stabilization equipment. Miners use conventional drilling and blasting techniques for finding gold, Tomany said.

And miners are finding loads of gold, he said.

In 1996, Nevada mines produced more than 7 million ounces of gold.

"This is the first time in the history of any state that this much gold has been produced in a single year," said state Division of Minerals Administrator Russ Fields. "This level of production will again lead the nation, helping keep the United States as the second leading gold producer in the world."

The U.S. trails South Africa in gold production, and Nevada produces 65 percent of this country's gold.

And despite the mining deaths, Tomany also said the state leads the nation in mining safety.

"Mining safety programs are proactive," he said. "Safety goes hand and hand with production."

Russian President Boris Yeltsin recently sent a high-ranking cabinet member and delegation to meet with Nevada's mining safety officials to learn the state's mining safety programs and incorporate them into Russia's plan, Tomany added.