Marcy Kaptur: “this day of June 20, 2006, marks the 1-month anniversary of the mining disaster in Harlan County, Kentucky, where five…”

“this day of June 20, 2006, marks the 1-month anniversary of the mining disaster in Harlan County, Kentucky, where five miners were killed in another mine accident. I started thinking about the history of Harlan County and in paying tribute to these five brave Americans wanted to place in the Record the fact that these miners are from a region of our country that has been home to generations of coal miners with entire communities dependent on the mines. While the coal mines have gotten somewhat safer with deaths steadily declining as a result of stricter safety laws passed by the Congress of the United States, coal mining remains one of our Nation's most dangerous professions. This year has been a particularly deadly year. Our Nation held its breath before learning of the 12 deaths at the Sago Mine in West Virginia, and then we mourned with the families in Harlan County, Kentucky, after learning of the deaths of five miners killed at the Darby Mine in May. With the year just half over, we have already seen 33 coal mining deaths 6 months into this year. {time} 2210 The names of Harlan County's most recent fatalities, Roy Middleton, Amon ``Cotton'' Brock, Jimmy D. Lee, and George William Petra and Paris Thomas, Jr., will now be added to a memorial honoring the ultimate sacrifice made by 1,200 coal miners that were killed in Harlan County since 1912.…”