in the state were expected to ice up again after dark, and he warned that downed power
lines continue to pose a threat of electrocution in the wake of a storm he said warrants a
federal disaster declaration. Connecticut power officials told reporters October 31 that
about 756,000 people were without power, down from a peak of more than 900,000.
Power crews from across the country were converging on the state to help restore
power, according to the spokesman, who said every town Connecticut Light and Power
serves was adversely affected. In Massachusetts, state officials said utility crews had
come from as far as Louisiana and Texas to help. The Massachusetts governor said
utility crews had made a 23 percent dent in the number of buildings without power as
of Monday morning. Elsewhere, about 90,000 customers were without power October
31 in Pennsylvania; 277,000 in New Jersey; 180,000 in New York, and 191,000 in New
Hampshire, according to figures from emergency managers and power companies in
those states. Thousands also lost power in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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29 miners last year, federal coal-mine regulators launched a new program of safety
blitzes, showing up unannounced at mines in Kentucky and other states, seizing
telephones so people underground would get no warning, and fanning out in search of
hazards. Since April 2010, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
has conducted 251 so-called “impact inspections” in coal mines, including 73 in
Kentucky, and seven in Indiana. Those safety sweeps have netted 4,530 citations for
violations, including nearly 2,000 in Kentucky, and 111 in Indiana. At the same time,
the MSHA has ordered 427 temporary mine closings to fix problems, including 174 in
Kentucky, and six in Indiana. The MSHA also is moving ahead with proposed
regulations to improve and tighten coal-dust monitoring to protect miners from excess
exposure that can lead to black lung disease; new rules to crack down on operators with
a pattern of safety violations; and additional action to prevent equipment from crushing
miners.
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affected PG&E customers October 28 and October 29 in California, the utility reports.
Outages were reported around 8 p.m. affecting several substations in Placer and El
Dorado counties, but power was restored to all 16,000 customers by 1:04 a.m. October
29, said a PG&E spokeswoman. Power was restored by rerouting electricity, she said.
Crews continued to look at what may have set off the outages.
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