Cast: Ken Hechler, J. Davitt McAteer, Ben Franklken

Synopsis: 78 miners lost their lives in one of the worst mine disasters in U.S. history, the Farmington, WV. Mine Disaster on Nov. 20, 1968. This documentary investigates the causes and effects of the disaster. Former U.S. Congressman Ken Hechler is one of the people interviewed since he lead the battle in Congress to change federal mine safety regulations. Also interviewed are J. Davitt McAteer of Shepherdstown, the head of the Occupational Health and Safety Center. Ben Franklin, a former New York Times correspondent who covered the disaster, provides some critical assessment. This was a watershed event led Congress to create a tough new mine safety law limiting the amount of coal dust produced in mines for the first time in U.S. history. The new legislation also compensated miners with black lung disease.

Contact: A & E