CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training has begun citing underground coal mines that don't have enough emergency shelters, a spokeswoman said.

Jama Jarrett said inspectors began issuing citations Monday for about 30 shelter violations.

The citations give mine operators six weeks to get shelters in place. If that doesn't happen, Jarrett says the agency will shut down working sections that don't have shelters.

Jarrett says there are about 285 shelters at about 182 underground mines across the state. That covers about 90 percent of working sections.

West Virginia began requiring airtight shelters capable of keeping trapped miners alive up to four days after the deaths of 14 miners in two high-profile 2006 accidents.

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training has begun citing underground coal mines that don't have enough emergency shelters, a spokeswoman said.

Jama Jarrett said inspectors began issuing citations Monday for about 30 shelter violations.

The citations give mine operators six weeks to get shelters in place. If that doesn't happen, Jarrett says the agency will shut down working sections that don't have shelters.

Jarrett says there are about 285 shelters at about 182 underground mines across the state. That covers about 90 percent of working sections.

West Virginia began requiring airtight shelters capable of keeping trapped miners alive up to four days after the deaths of 14 miners in two high-profile 2006 accidents.