The one year sentence handed down yesterday to former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship for his role in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster is not enough, say miners and occupational safety advocates.

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was sentenced today to a year in prison for his role in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster that killed 29 miners.

Donald Blankenship, former CEO of Massey Energy, will be sentenced April 6 for his role in the Upper Big Branch mine tragedy – and federal prosecutors want him to do jail time.

From 1986 to 2010, 10 deadly explosions occurred in underground coal mines in the United States. The risk of explosion involves an interrelated chain of events. A source of heat (such as a spark) ignites methane gas in the air of the coal mine tunnel.

Last year saw the fewest U.S. mining deaths since such data was recorded, but events so far this year suggest that 2016 will not be nearly as safe for coal miners.

Preliminary data released by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration indicate that 28 miners died in 2015 in work-related accidents at the nation’s mines, down from 45 in 2014.

The conviction last week of former Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship on charges related to the 2010 disaster at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia will hopefully keep miners alive going forward, according to United Mine Workers of America International (UMWA) President Cecil E. Roberts.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) says federal inspectors issued 231 citations and seven orders during special impact inspections at 11 coal mines and five metal and nonmetal mines in October.

In a recent ruling, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission overturned an administrative law judge’s decision that invalidated an enforcement action taken two years ago against a West Virginia coal mine operator.

Historically, October is the deadliest month of the year in the metal and nonmetal mining industry. Since 2000, 51 fatalities occurred during the month, many of which involved powered haulage and machinery accidents at a time when mines prepare for seasonal changes.