By Doug Cunningham

United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts says the government has fatally failed coal miners on safety regulations. Roberts and the UMWA say the Bush administration has been a disaster for miners' safety, with safety rules repealed and mining executives put in charge of the rules for miner safety. The union says miners need a miners' advocate with a passion for safety to be running the Mining Safety and Health Administration.

[Cecil Roberts] : "What we need is an advocate. Let me say that again - an advocate for the coal miners. We need a coal miner to have a voice in this agency and we need someone that's on fire for protecting coal miners' health and safety."