Sago Mine Disaster

The Sago Disaster was a tragedy that did not have to happen. As the UMWA's report stated, the twelve men killed at Sago did not have to die. But they did, as a result of a series of decisions that were made by the mine's owner, and allowed by the state and federal agencies that are charged with mine safety.

Some of those decisions were made in the weeks and months immediately prior to the explosion and in the hours immediately after it. Sadly, some of those decisions were made many years prior to the explosion.

But whenever they were made, all of those misguided decisions contributed to this preventable tragedy. And without immediate action by mine operators and regulatory agencies across America to reverse the effects of these decisions, more tragedies are inevitable.

The UMWA's report on the Sago Mine Disaster was issued on March 15, 2007. The report provides an expert, unbiased analysis of the events that occurred there and makes dozens of recommendations for how tragedies like Sago can be prevented in the future.

To download a PDF copy of the report, click here.