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APNewsBreak: Mine safety violations down

By WTOP Staff

FREDERIC J. FROMMER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of chronic safety violators among mine operators has fallen sharply in recent years, according to government figures released Thursday.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration said the number has dropped in response to reforms the agency has taken to rein in bad actors. The National Mining Association counters that the industry’s own safety program deserves the credit.

The government puts repeat safety offenders on its Pattern of Violations, or POV, list, which is reserved for mines that pose the greatest risk to the safety and health of miners. A POV designation means that if a federal inspector were to find another significant and substantial violation, an order would be issued to withdraw miners from a specific area, effectively ceasing operations of that area until the problem is corrected there.

Prior to 2010, according to MSHA, no mine had been put on that list. But partly in response to the 2010 Upper Big Branch explosion in West Virginia, which killed 29 miners, MSHA toughened its enforcement that year and began citing mines for POV actions. Since then, seven mines have been on the POV list.

In its 2010 screening, 51 chronic violators were identified for further review among mine operators. But for this year’s screening, that number had dropped to 12. The biggest reduction came in coal mines, which dropped from 42 in 2010 to six this year.

The numbers were obtained by The Associated Press ahead of their official release on Thursday.

“For the first time in the history of the Mine Act, mine operators were under the threat of being placed on a POV action if they failed to clean up their act,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main said in a telephone interview. “That was really never a threat before. We’re not seeing the kind of records that Upper Big Branch and other mines were amassing” anymore.

In the 2010 screening, the worst 12 offenders were cited for 2,050 violations of significant health or safety standards; by this year, that number had fallen to 857.

Main said that there was a corresponding reduction in the number of deaths and injuries, noting that for the most recent fiscal year for which numbers are available, ending Sept. 30, 2013, there were record-low fatality and injury rates, as well as the fewest mining deaths, 33. But MSHA also announced in January that fatalities for the 2013 calendar year had increased. There were 41 fatalities, up from 36 the previous calendar year, because of an especially deadly final three months, which claimed the lives of 14 miners.

According to MSHA statistics, 100 percent of mines were inspected in each of the years from 2008 to 2013 — the latter year the most recent for which those numbers are available.

Main said there’s been a “cultural change” in the mining industry, much of it driven by the agency’s push on POV actions.

But Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said that while his group was pleased with the improved numbers, it doesn’t share MSHA’s premise for what’s driving it.

“NMA’s own CORESafety program, consisting of best safety practices from around the world and from other industries, was implemented in our biggest member company mines beginning in 2011,” Popovich said in an email. “I don’t think it’s coincidental that this program coincided with the documented improvement in the numbers MSHA is now showing.”

He added that mines have an incentive to operate safely.

“Our members recognize this because they’ve documented the correlation between safe mines and productive mines,” Popovich said.

Phil Smith, director of governmental affairs for the United Mine Workers of America, said in an email that conditions are getting better, especially among mine operators that have a chronic history of poor safety practices.

“The POV rule is proving to be a very useful tool in MSHA’s arsenal to keep miners safer on the job,” he said.

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Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ffrommer

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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