Coal Tattoo

President Obama presses for mine safety answers

April 8, 2010 by Ken Ward Jr.
obama

During a phone call from the Oval Office, April 7, 2010, President Barack Obama talks with the family of workers who were killed in a West Virginia coal mine explosion on Monday. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This just in:

The President has tasked Federal mine safety officials to report next week on their initial assessment of the cause of the nation’s worst coal mining disaster in more than a quarter century, and what actions could prevent further tragedies in this industry.

The President will meet next week with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Mine Safety and Health Administrator Joe Main.  He expects them to report on their early assessment of the deadly explosion’s cause, the safety record at the Upper Branch mine, and the steps that the Federal government should take to improve safety enforcement and prevent future tragedies.  The Secretary and MSHA Administrator will address safety issues as well as enforcement and legal authorities in their briefing.

UMWA blasts Massey safety record

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

State troopers stand watch at the entrance to the Massey Energy Co.’s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine Thursday, April 8, 2010, in Montcoal, W.Va. Rescue crews began working their way by rail car and on foot through a West Virginia coal mine early Thursday in search of four miners missing since a blast killed 25 colleagues in the worst U.S. mine disaster in more than two decades. (AP Photo/Bob Bird)

This statement just in:

As rescue efforts continue at the Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh Co., W. Va., the safety history at that mine and of Massey Energy overall is “troubling and demands a tough investigation” moving forward, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts said today.

“Our hearts and prayers remain with the families of those who lost loved ones at this mine,” Roberts said. “Many of those lost were family, friends and neighbors of our members, and some were even past members of our union.

Continue reading…

Afternoon update: More time needed to clear explosive gases from Massey mine; rescuers won’t re-enter until tonight

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

A sign hangs on the fence at Dameron Freewill Baptist Church along Coal River Road Thursday, April 8, 2010 in Dameron, W.Va. On Monday 25 miners were killed in an explosion at nearby Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Coal Mine in Montcoal, W.Va. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

More tough news this afternoon from the Upper Big Branch Mine: Rescuers probably won’t get back into the mine until this evening — perhaps not until 6 or 8 p.m. Drillers need more time to put more ventilation holes in and help clear poisonous and explosive gases to make it safe for the rescue teams.

We’ve updated our Gazette online story here.

And, we’ve also got some breaking news:

— First, a story that explains that the mine received 61 withdrawal orders — very serious enforcement actions — from MSHA in 2009 and 2010, but yet MSHA did not take the next step and cite the company for a “pattern of violations.”

— Next, WVDEP is checking the impoundments near the explosion site to make sure they weren’t somehow affected — and at some point, investigators will probably look into whether surface mine blasting nearby had any impact on the Upper Big Branch Mine.

Big setback: Rescue teams pulled from mine

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Rescue officials and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin just announced a huge setback in their efforts to find the four miners still missing inside the Massey Energy Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va.

Repeated readings for carbon monoxide, methane and other gases indicated a potentially explosive mixture, prompting a decision to pull four rescue teams from the mine just five hours after they went in early this morning.

“We’ve had a setback,” said Kevin Stricklin, coal administrator for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

My coworker Andrew Clevenger, who is at the briefing going on right now, tells me that as soon as rescue teams are out of the mine, crews will resume drilling boreholes to try to speed up the ventilation of toxic gases from the mine.

“There is so much gas built up in the area that it’s taking us a while to ventilate,” Stricklin said.

Stay tuned … and pray for the miners.

Early morning update: Rescue resumes in desperate search for four missing miners

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Thomas Jones, a coal miner from Wharton, W. Va., prays during a candlelight vigil Wednesday, April 7, 2010, in Whitesville, W.Va., for miners involved in an explosion at Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch mine. Twenty-five miners are known to be dead following an explosion at the mine  Monday. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Another media briefing ended, and we now know that rescue teams reentered the Upper Big Branch Mine at about 4:55 a.m. today, and have resumed their search for the four missing Massey Energy miners.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said:

They are advancing. They’ll move as rapidly as they possibly can.

That said, the explosion damaged the underground mine’s track-based transportation system. So rescue teams are going to have to walk much of the way — several miles at least — to where they believe the miners might be located. So, it could be several more hours before we have more information.

The next media briefing is currently scheduled for 8:30 a.m.

UPDATED: The next briefing from rescuers has been pushed back to 9:45 a.m.

Breaking news: Rescue teams to reenter mine

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Kevin Stricklin with the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration speaks at an early-morning news conference, Thursday, April 8, 2010, in Montcoal, W.Va. Stricklin announced four teams of eight rescue workers will be entering the mine about 4:30 a.m. EST. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

This just in … U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration officials have just announced that air quality in the Upper Big Branch Mine has improved to the point that they are preparing to send rescue teams back into the mine.

During a briefing at 3 a.m., MSHA coal administrator Kevin Stricklin said rescue teams should reenter the mine at about 4:30 a.m., and could reach the areas where four missing miners are believed to be within a few hours after that.

“It’s been a long day. We’ve got a lot of work left to do,” said Joe Main, assistant labor secretary in charge of MSHA.

Another briefing is expected at about 6:30 a.m … Stay tuned.

UPDATED:  The Gazette’s Andrew Clevenger reports from the scene —

Rescue teams are heading into the Upper Big Branch Mine early Thursday morning after tests revealed that the air quality in the mine is safe enough to proceed.

After an extensive discussion of the plan, four eight-man teams will enter the mine, hoping to locate all four miners still unaccounted for after Monday’s deadly blast.

The teams will first check two refuge chambers near the last known locations where the miners were working. The chambers have enough air, food and water to sustain the miners for up to four days.

During the first rescue attempt, crews encountered potentially explosive levels of methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Since then, rescuders have drilled a shaft into the mine from the surfade and ventilated the underground workings.

“We’ve taken a sample down there,” said Kevin Stricklin, coal administrator for MSHA. “It’s non-explosive underground as well.”

It will likely take the rescuers, who will carry 30-pound breathing aparati on their back in case they encounter pockets of unbreathable air two to thiree hours to reach the refuge. They will ride on mantrips as far as possible, then walk the rest of the way.

Because of the constant drilling of ventilation holes, workers on the surface have not been able to listen for signs of life inside the mine. A second shaft is almost finished, stopping within 40 feet of the mine underground, but drilling will cease while the rescuers are in the mine. If conditions in the mine are worse than expected, it is possible that the teams will pull out while the drilling on the second and third holes is completed and the mine is further vented.

Main said, “We are hopeful we can go in and finish this mission. It is a rescue mission.”

Update from evening briefing

April 7, 2010 by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

The initial word from tonight’s media briefing is that officials believe mine rescue teams may be able to get back into the Upper Big Branch Mine as early as tonight.

Stay tuned …

AP report: Massey cited the day of explosion

by Ken Ward Jr.

Tim Huber over at The Associated Press is reporting:

The Massey Energy coal mine where 25 people died in an explosion was cited for violating for two federal safety rules on the day of the blast.

Mine Safety and Health Administration records show the citations were issued Monday. The records do not specifically say whether they were issued before the explosion.

Neither federal mine safety officials nor Massey immediately responded to requests for comment Wednesday.

Records show one of the violations involved inadequate maps of escape routes from the Upper Big Branch mine. Underground coal mines are required to have maps detailing escape routes, oxygen caches, and refuge chambers.


The other involved an improper splice of electrical cable on a piece of equipment.

And AP is also reporting:

Federal inspectors at a West Virginia coal mine that blew up this week cited the operators three months ago for having fresh-air systems flowing the wrong way near two escape routes.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show that regulators found that one of the systems meant to bring clean air to miners in an emergency had the air flow reversed. The mine foreman told investigators he had known about the situation for about three weeks without addressing it.

Records indicate the problems were fixed the same day.

At least 25 miners were killed in Monday’s explosion, the country’s worst since 1984. Four other miners are missing.

Investigators called January’s citation extraordinarily negligent. Mine safety experts say it should have been a red flag.

Updated:

It’s worth pointing out regarding these reports that similar problems were discovered by MSHA as part of its investigation of the January 2006 fired that killed two workers at Massey’s Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine.

In MSHA’s report on Aracoma, Massey was cited for not maintaining an up-to-date escape map and the agency also outlined changes in the mine’s ventilation system  that had air going the opposite way from what was required by the approved ventilation plan.

Mine disaster: Update from afternoon briefing

by Ken Ward Jr.
APTOPIX Mine Explosion

A large drill and fan, left, work above Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Coal Mine Wednesday, April 7, 2010 in Montcoal, W.Va. The 560ft rotary drill which is 6in in diameter is the second hole drilled in an effort to release gas from the area where miners are believed to be trapped. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner, Pool)

Here’s the news from the latest briefing on the mine disaster, which happened just a few minutes ago:

Levels of toxic gases inside the Upper Big Branch Mine are still too high for rescue crews to re-enter and resume their search for four miners unaccounted for deep inside the Raleigh County operation where 25 miners perished in a huge explosion Monday afternoon, official said this afternoon.
“We’re dealing with numbers that are way beyond what we would normally see in a mine,” said Kevin Stricklin, coal administrator for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Stricklin said air monitoring for an initial borehole showed “extremely high” levels of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, very low levels of oxygen and methane concentrations that were just barely below the explosive range.
Crews have drilled one ventilation hole into the Upper Big Branch Mine and another is about halfway there, as workers rush to try to rid the mine of dangerous gases so specially trained teams can resume searching for the miners.
Rescue crews had previously said they planned a third and fourth ventilation hole, and Stricklin announced that Massey Energy plans to drill an additional ventilation hole and lower cameras near the location of a rescue chamber to see if the miners can be located.
“The numbers don’t surprise me,” Stricklin said. “We’re hoping that someone had the ability to get to that chamber. That would be the only way anyone could survive. There’s always hope, but it’s miniscule.”
During the afternoon briefing, Gov. Joe Manchin repeated his earlier assertions that he, the rescue crews and the families were maintaining a “sliver of hope” that the four missing miners made it to one of two airtight chambers that rescue crews have not yet been able to check.
“The odds are not in our favor, because of the horrendous blast we had,” Manchin said during a briefing early in the day.
Twenty-five miners died in the explosion, which officials believe was fueled by methane and perhaps made much worse by coal dust. Two other miners also remain hospitalized following the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in a quarter-century.
As the rescue effort dragged on through its second full day, hope for a miracle was waning, officials said.
Three of the missing miners are believed to be in one location and the fourth in another location, somewhere near one of two rescue chambers located near the working face of the mine. Rescuers already checked a third rescue chamber, but did not find any survivors there.
Stricklin said once rescue teams can get into the mine it might take them about two hours to get into the areas where the miners are believed to be located.
“They may not be in the exact location we think they are, so we may have to fan out a little bit,” Sticklin said. “You have to play it by ear … you have to shoot from the hip.”
Early Tuesday morning, rescue teams had reached 500 to 600 feet from the area where the miners may be before bad air readings forced them out of the mine.

MSHA announces disaster investigation team

by Ken Ward Jr.

This just in from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration:

MSHA appoints team to investigate Upper Big Branch South Mine explosion

ARLINGTON, Va. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration has appointed a team to investigate the April 5 explosion at the Upper Big Branch South Mine (Performance Coal Co.) in Whitesville, W.Va.

“Twenty-five hardworking men died unnecessarily in a mine Monday,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.  “The very best way we can honor them is to do our job.  MSHA’s investigation team is committed to finding out what happened, and we will take action.”

“The investigation team will work tirelessly to evaluate all aspects of this accident to identify the cause of the disaster,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for MSHA Joseph A. Main.

A team of MSHA mine safety professionals from outside the district responsible for enforcement at the Upper Big Branch South Mine will evaluate all aspects of the accident, including potential causes and the operator’s compliance with federal health and safety standards. A formal report to be issued by MSHA will summarize the findings and conclusions of the investigative team, identifying root causes of the accident and how the incident unfolded. Any contributing violations of federal mine safety standards that existed will be cited at the conclusion of the investigation.

The Upper Big Branch Accident Investigation Team is being led by Norman Page, district manager of MSHA’s District 6 in Pikeville, Ky. Page has held a number of positions in his 25-year career with the agency, including mine inspector, ventilation/roof specialist, ventilation supervisor, roof control supervisor and assistant district manager. Page has participated in numerous accident investigations.

Other team members from MSHA’s staff include Timothy Watkins, assistant district manager of District 6; Ben Harding, staff assistant of District 5 (Virginia); Erik Sherer, coal mine safety and health mining engineer from the headquarters office; Alvin Brown, program analyst of District 7 (Kentucky); Dave Steffey, mining engineer of District 6; Jerry Vance, educational field services specialist from Educational Policy and Development; and Jasey Maggard, electrical supervisor of District 7.  Rich Stoltz, supervisory general engineer, Ventilation Division; Clete Stephan, general engineer, Ventilation Division; Tom Morley, mining engineer, Ventilation Division; and Sandin Phillipson, geologist, Roof Control Division in the agency’s Office of Technical Support also will assist in the investigation.

Additionally, Derek Baxter and Dana Ferguson, trial attorneys for the Labor Department’s Office of the Solicitor, are on the team.

MSHA’s mission is to administer the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, as amended by the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, and to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health standards as a means to eliminate fatal accidents; to reduce the frequency and severity of nonfatal accidents; to minimize health hazards; and to promote improved safety and health conditions in the nation’s mines.


Update from Massey Energy

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

And here’s an update that was just issued by Massey Energy:

JULIAN, WV, April 7, 2010 – Massey Energy Company (NYSE:MEE) is providing the following information in an effort to update the media and the public regarding ongoing rescue and recovery efforts at the Upper Big Branch mine.

When will the victims be identified?

There are twenty five confirmed fatalities.  Two workers remain hospitalized.

Eleven have been identified.  Seven of the identified have been removed from the site.  Four of the identified remain in the coal mine.

Fourteen have been confirmed as fatalities but not identified.

The mine rescue teams’ job is to search for survivors.  The mine rescue teams have a limited amount of air and have to cover as much of the mine as fast as they can in their search for survivors.  While focused on looking for survivors, the teams encountered unfavorable atmospheric conditions.  The teams were ordered to exit the mine quickly before they could identify all the fatally injured miners.  As soon as atmospheric conditions in the mine improve, mine rescue teams will re-enter the mine to continue the search for the four missing workers and recover and identify the bodies of the fourteen unidentified victims.

What are the next steps?

Massey will continue to provide regular updates to the family members.

There are four drilling rigs on site and the Company is currently drilling bore holes approximately 1100 feet into the mine to bring the atmospheric conditions to a safe level that will allow the mine rescue teams to re-enter and continue their search and rescue efforts.

One bore hole reached the headgate area of the mine early this morning.  An exhaust fan will be placed on the hole to remove bad air from the mine.

A second bore hole is 535 feet down in the same area.

A third bore hole is 100 feet down in an area north of the headgate area.  This hole will be use to monitor underground atmospheric conditions.

A fourth bore hole will be placed in the tailgate area to monitor underground atmospheric conditions and a fifth hole will be placed in the headgate area.

How is Massey Energy communicating with the families?

Massey Energy is devoting its attention and resources to the ongoing rescue efforts and the families.  The Company is committed to providing the families with accurate, timely information.

In an effort to ensure the families receive only information confirmed by State and Federal Authorities, the Company established an area at the Performance Coal Training Center for families to meet directly with Company and Government Officials.  Chairman Don Blankenship participated in meetings with the families on Monday and Tuesday.  Now that the drilling work has begun to penetrate the seams and the rescue teams are waiting for the atmosphere to improve, Blankenship will begin more in depth meetings with the families.

Company officials met with the families at the Performance Coal Training Center earlier this morning and will continue to meet every two hours with the families.

In addition, the Company has established a toll free hotline (1-877-534-5180) for families to call if they require counseling or other services and assistance.  Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center is coordinating counseling services.

A call center hotline has also been established for media inquiries.  Members of the media may call 1-877-534-5180.

Mine disaster: Update from 11 a.m. briefing

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Here’s the news I got out of the briefing that just ended:

Rescue crews have only a “sliver of hope” that four missing miners are still alive deep inside a Massey Energy mine in Raleigh County where 25 miners perished in a huge explosion Monday afternoon, Gov. Joe Manchin said this morning.

Drillers have gotten one ventilation hole into the Upper Big Branch Mine and another is about halfway there, as workers rush to try to rid the mine of dangerous gases so specially trained teams can resume searching for the miners. A third borehole is also planned, officials said.

“The odds are not in our favor, because of the horrendous blast we had,” Manchin said during a briefing at about 11 a.m.

Two other miners also remain hospitalized following the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in a quarter-century.

Rescuers were holding out slim hope that the four missing miners had somehow made it to an airtight rescue chamber that would provide them with enough air and supplies to four days or more. But as the rescue effort dragged on into its second full day, hope for a miracle was waning, officials said.

Three of the missing miners are believed to be in one location and the fourth another location, somewhere near one of two rescue chambers located near the working face of the mine.

Kevin Stricklin, coal administrator for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, said once rescue teams can get into the mine it might take them about two hours to get into the areas where the miners are believed to be located.

“They may not be in the exact location we think they are, so we may have to fan out a little bit,” Sticklin said. “You have to play it by ear … you have to shoot from the hip.”

Early Tuesday morning, rescue teams had reached 500 to 600 feet from the area where the miners may be before bad air readings forced them out of the mine.

Morning update on the Massey mine disaster

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Crews have drilled the first hole into Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County and hope to be able later today to send rescue crews back into the mine in search of four miners who are still unaccounted for following the largest U.S. coal mining disaster in a quarter century.

Workers drilled through more than 1,000 feet of earth, breaking through to the mine sometime after 4 a.m. today, Gov. Joe Manchin and mine safety officials announced during a morning press briefing.

Rescuers banged on a drill casing pipe for about 15 minutes in hopes that any survivors would hear and know help was on the way. They did not get any response.

Officials also plan to set off three small explosive charges meant to alert any survivors of the rescue efforts and prompt the miners to bang on the drill casing pipe in response.

“Today is going to be a big day,” Manchin said. “At the end of the day we’ll know more.”

At least 25 miners were killed in the explosion Monday afternoon in the Upper Big Branch Mine, a large underground operation located in the Montcoal-Naoma area of Raleigh County. Two more miners remain hospitalized, in addition to the four workers still unaccounted for.

Rescuers were holding out slim hope that the four missing miners had somehow made it to an airtight rescue chamber that would provide them with enough air and supplies to four days or more. But as the rescue effort dragged on into its second full day, hope for a miracle was waning, officials said.

Another press briefing is planned for 10:30 a.m.

More Gazette coverage of the Massey disaster

April 6, 2010 by Ken Ward Jr.
APTOPIX Mine Explosion

Jeanie Sanger, left, gets a hug from a friend after finding out her brother, Benny Willingham, died in a mine explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine Monday in Naoma, W.Va., on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Jon C. Hancock)

We’ve adding  more coverage to the Gazette Web site, including:

— Four years after reforms, why another mine disaster?

— Massey Safety record again in the spotlight

Stay tuned for more later tonight and tomorrow … I’ll be trying to update Coal Tattoo as often as time allow.

Updated: More coverage from today’s paper:

— Rescuers keep looking for last four miners

— Miners at tunnel entrance felt ‘woosh’ from force of blast

— Coal families, community seek solace at service in Whitesville

— Reeling community reaches out to help neighbors

We’re also collecting all of the coverage from our print edition here.

WVU collecting condolences for families of Massey Energy mine disaster

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Nick Prillaman of Beckley, W.Va., is hugged outside of Marsh Fork Elementary School Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in Naoma, W.Va. On Monday Prillaman’s uncle Benny Willingham, 61, of Corinne, W.Va., was killed in an explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Coal Mine. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)

West Virginia University has announced that it is collecting condolence messages for the families of miners killed in the Massey Energy mine disaster in Raleigh County.

WVU has set up a blog and plans to deliver the condolence messages to the families. Kimberly Colebank, director of WVU’s Center for Civic Engagement, said:

As Mountaineers united and proud of our state and our people, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to the communities affected by the loss of so many valuable and contributing lives by sending wishes for healing and comfort.

Manchin orders flags to half-staff for fallen miners

by Ken Ward Jr.
WV MINE EXPLOSION

W.Va. Governor Joe Manchin, left, briefs the press on a mine explosion at  the Upper Big Branch Mine, in Naoma, W.Va., on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Jon C. Hancock)

This just in from West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin:

Gov. Joe Manchin today ordered all State flags at all State-owned facilities throughout the State be lowered to half-staff in commemoration of the mining tragedy which occurred Monday at the Upper Big Branch Mine-South in Montcoal, W.Va.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the miners who have died. We are offering everything we can to assist those families at this time.  For those families who are still waiting for news on their missing loved ones, I want them to know that we are doing everything possible in cooperation with state and federal officials and the company to get our miners out as quickly and safely as possible,” said the governor.

The flags will remain lowered until further declaration by the Governor.

‘That’s what you get when you live in this area’

by Ken Ward Jr.
Mine Explosion

Mine electrician Terry Holstein, 49, stands outside the Charles B. Jarrell General Merchandise store in Dry Creek, W.Va., on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Holstein worked at the nearby mine where 29 are feared dead in an explosion, but left several years ago because he thought it was unsafe. (AP Photo/Allen Breed)

Here’s a story by AP writers Allen Breed and Vicki Smith:

DRY CREEK, W.Va. (AP) — Down the road from the disaster scene at the Upper Big Branch Mine, two unassuming brick buildings stand side by side, hugging the bank of the Big Coal River. One is the Assembly of God Church; the other is the meeting hall of Local 6608 of the United Mine Workers Union.

When you make your living digging coal, miner Albert T. Bonds says, you’d better have God and family behind you.

“It’s a tight bunch — and a religious bunch — that’s up and down the river,” says Bonds, 51, who worked 27 years underground, eight of them at the Massey Energy Co. mine in nearby Montcoal, where 25 were killed and four still missing in an explosion Monday. “And it’s a good place to grow up and be.”

But to grow up here is to know that death, massive and swift, can come at any time. It hit home four years ago, when 12 miners died at the Sago Mine in the northeastern corner of the state, and again Monday when methane gas apparently ignited, causing the blast.

Benny R. Willingham, who died in Monday’s explosion, was just five weeks from retirement. His daughter, Michelle McKinney, says he was looking forward to a Virgin Island cruise, but was also prepared for death.

“He talked about it all the time. He said if the Lord come and got him, he’s ready,” she said Tuesday as she clutched a photo of her parents and their youngest grandson. “He was a family man and he loved the Lord. We know where he’s at, but we still want him to come back.”

In isolated places like Raleigh County, there has never been much of a choice besides coal, timber and low-paying service jobs.

“That’s what you get when you live in this area,” said Terry Holstein, 49, a mine electrician. “Because that’s all we have.”

Continue reading…

New statement from W.Va. Gov. Joe Manchin

by Ken Ward Jr.
US Mine Explosion

Here’s a new statement from Gov. Manchin about the mine disaster:

“At this time, we have been able to confirm 25 fatalities with four miners unaccounted for. We are still in a full rescue operation until the remaining miners are located. Mine rescue experts are working to drill four bore holes to sample the mine air and release methane where those miners are believed to be located. We have been told by the rescue professionals that the drilling process may not be complete until as late as Wednesday evening, as they are drilling to a depth of about 1,200 feet.

“This apparently was a massive explosion and we will be gathering more facts in the days and weeks to come. Obviously, this is an incredibly difficult situation for all these miners and their families, but they are strong and represent the best of West Virginia. In times such as this, West Virginians come together like a family, and I’m am so encouraged by their bravery as we await more information.”

Blankenship speaks: “Any suspicion that the mine was improperly operated or illegally operated or anything like that would be unfounded”

by Ken Ward Jr.
rally12_i0909072049581
Lots of folks have been wondering when Massey CEO Don Blankenship would speak publicly about the terrible disaster at his company’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh county, and my buddy Hoppy Kercheval has talked with Blankenship.

The entire interview is online on the West Virginia MetroNews Web site, and here’s part of what Blankenship had to say:

I mean violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process. You have inspections every day and it’s hard to differentiate sometimes between head count or number counts of  violations and the seriousness or type of it.

[Upper Big Branch] was a mine that had violations. I think the fact that MSHA and the state and our firebosses and the best engineers you can find were all in and order this mine and all belive it was safe … speaks for itself.

Any suspicion that the mine was improperly operated or illegally operated or anything like that would be unfounded. None of these groups would have allowed this mine to operate had it been unsafe.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd on Massey disaster: “We must get to the bottom of what happened, how and who was responsible” and “hold those parties accountable”

by Ken Ward Jr.
byrd_15012Here’s a new statement just issued by Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.:

My heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences go out to all those who have lost loved ones in the worst mining tragedy since 1984.  We grieve for those who have died, and we continue to pray for their families.

Clearly we must get to the bottom of what happened, how and who was responsible.  And we must and will hold those parties accountable.

At least 25 coal miners have died inside a mine that has over time amassed scores of safety violations, including 57 citations just last month. West Virginia’s coal miners are the backbone of a great nation that depends on their work. They deserve nothing less than a safe working environment, and an employer who respects and values their safety.

We must reexamine the health and safety laws we have put into place and what more may need to be done to avoid future loss of life.

Let me also pay homage to our mine rescue units and first responders.  These mine rescue units have world-class training and skills, and I commend their bravery as they search to rescue and recover their brothers.