(AFX) - --Jan. 2 Sago Mine explosion results in 12 deaths
--Jan. 9 West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin appoints former federal Mine Safety and Health Administration director J. Davitt McAteer to conduct special Sago investigation. New Mexico conducts unscheduled inspection of its only underground mine on orders by Gov. Bill Richardson.
--Jan. 19 Two miners die in fire at Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine in Logan County.
--Jan. 23 Manchin sends mine safety package to West Virginia lawmakers.
--Jan. 24 West Virginia Legislature approves mine safety package.
--Jan. 26 Gov. Manchin signs mine safety package mandating several safety changes including emergency communicators and tracking devices, extra air supplies, 24-hour emergency hot line and lifelines.
--Feb. 1 West Virginia adopts emergency rules requiring caches of additional air packs and storage cache plans, battery operated lights and lifelines, wireless tracking and communications.
--Feb. 2 West Virginia asks mines to 'stand down' for safety.
--Feb. 6 The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration expands stand down nationally.
--Feb. 7 West Virginia mine safety chief Doug Conaway resigns. MSHA announces plans for emergency rules requiring additional air packs, lifelines, air pack training, and accident notification. Pennsylvania Gov Ed Rendell orders inspection of all 77 underground mines in his state within 30 days.
--Feb. 14 West Virginia names West Virginia University mining instructor James Dean as acting safety director. Dean begins adopting emergency rules to implement new legislation. Sago Mine owner, International Coal Group, releases report that suggests massive lightning strike caused fatal explosion.
Feb. 16 MSHA announces plan to revise the way it assesses fines, including increasing fines for flagrant violations to $220,000 from $60,000.
--Feb. 27 Gov. Manchin proposes adding emergency shelters and creates Mine Safety Technology Task Force.
--March 7 MSHA publishes emergency safety rules for only the third time in its history. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson signs mine safety law requiring self-rescuer caches, two-way communications and other improvements.
April 21 MSHA approves new handheld radios for use underground after two years with no approved radios available.
--May 5 West Virginia Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety approves requirement for two additional mine rescue teams and new equipment.
--May 12 West Virginia bans the use of Omega foam block seals used at Sago.
--May 16 Sen. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyoming, introduces the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act. Among other things, the new law requires mines to store more emergency air packs underground, continuously update written emergency response plans, creation of additional rescue teams, two-way communications and electronic tracking systems.
--May 22 MSHA issues moratorium on Omega block seals.
--May 30 West Virginia task force issues report recommending larger quantities of emergency air packs, shelter chambers and additional tracking equipment.
--June 9 West Virginia adopts emergency rule establishing criteria, design, plans and timelines for meeting new air pack, emergency shelter, wireless communication and tracking devices.
--June 15 President Bush signs Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act.
--July 10 West Virginia orders underground mines to inventory emergency air packs and report condition by Aug. 15. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher signs emergency regulations allowing the state to revoke mine's licenses for safety violations leading to the deaths of miners, setting fines as high as the gross value of 10 days of production and other changes, increasing number of annual inspections to three from two, and extra air supplies underground.
--July 19 MSHA increases strength requirement for underground seals.
--July 20 Gov. Manchin's office released McAteer's report on the Sago Mine explosion. The report appears to support International Coal Group's finding that lightning was a possible cause of the explosion. The report recommends regulatory changes.
--July 24 Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signs state safety law requiring emergency communication devices, tracking systems, lifelines and taglines to connect groups of miners, rescue chambers and other improvements.
--Aug. 31 West Virginia warns industry to look for heat damage to brand of air packs used at Sago. Former Consol Energy official Ron Wooten is appointed West Virginia's mine safety director.
--Sept. 7 West Virginia inspector cites Sago Mine operator for allowing miners to carry damaged air packs underground.
--Oct. 19 President Bush appoints Richard Stickler as MSHA director after nomination stalls.
--Oct. 31 West Virginia repeats air pack warning.
--Nov. 2 West Virginia issues report on Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine fire.
--Nov. 10 West Virginia issues second Aracoma report.
--Dec. 11 West Virginia releases its official Sago Mine investigation report. The report says lightning may have sparked the explosion, but adds the true cause may never be known.
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