Blast traps miners in West Virginia

[ECH1969]

Initial attempt to rescue 13 in coal mine fails

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - An underground explosion at a coal mine trapped 13 miners, a county emergency official said Monday.

The explosion happened about 8 a.m. at the Sago Mine in Upshur County, said Steve Milligan, deputy director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management. Six miners made it out of the mine and refused treatment.

The trapped miners’ condition was not immediately known as an attempt by rescuers to reach them was unsuccessful, Milligan said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10682163/

[hootinholler]

1. LOL beat me by one minute

NBC Ch 4 in dc has the story also.

Having been raised in coal country in S.W. Pa., My prayers go out to youns (these guys and their families).

-Hoot

[benburch]

3. fixed link

here

[hootinholler]

4. Thanks, Ben.

Sloppy of me, fixed now.

-Hoot

[AzDar]

48. Okay, until this very moment, I've always thought my Mom (who is

from Kentucky; her daddy was a coal miner..)MADE UP the word 'youns'! LOL... or was that a typo?

[spinbaby]

49. You've never been to Pittsburgh, have you?

You'ns is practically standard English here.

[hootinholler]

58. Youns is standard throughout appalachia

Pittsburgh is a special case ;)

-Hoot

[benburch]

2. The hidden price of coal...

is lives.

[hezekkia]

18. true

but as long as we're all plugging in our computers, lights, and televisions, we're all guilty of using this necessary evil.

Conserve Coal-- reduce electricity consumption

[applegrove]

5. Um - shouldn't there be technology so this doesn't happen?

[benburch]

8. Well, it happens much less than it used to...

But sometimes you dig into a large gas pocket and the explosion is quicker than you can react and get out even with the gas detectors.

[Posteritatis]

15. Technology isn't infallible. (n/t)

[hezekkia]

19. the alternative technology is strip mining

mountaintop removal is safer, but it destroys the natural beauty of our mountains.

[benburch]

20. And people die from that, too.

But they die miles away from the polluted water, air, and soil.

[MountainLaurel]

29. Or from giant boulders

That end up crushing their homes, as was the case in SW VA last year, where a small child was killed in his bed because an equipment operator was using a backhoe at night (against regulations).

[maxrandb]

6. Can Anyone Say "Here's Another Photo-OP Georgie"

I'll never forget the simpleton trying to inject himself into the bravery and determination of the PA miners. And this was after he had recently appointed someone to the Department of Labor who "relaxed" mine safety rules.

Any Union member that votes, or voted for this idiot and his entire corporate owned party, ought to forced to work at Wal-mart for minimun wage.

That said; "my prayers are with these miners". My Grandfather worked the mines in Corning, OH and used to tell me about taking a canary into the mine. If the canary died, you'd better get the hell out.

We've come a long way when it comes to labor laws and work-place safety. It's a shame to see 51% of the American people pissing those rights away by voting for this "ass-pickle".

[zann725]

36. Speaking of photo-op's, wasn't it a coincidentall 4 yeas ago...

last election cycle that the then running PA politician got primo coverage as the "hero" of THAT mine disaster? You mean to tell me that the only mine disasters occurring, do so only once every election cycle? Maybe it's coincidental, but...'06 IS coming quick.

[Staph]

38. Photo-ops...

This isn't a photo-op -- it's a real disaster.

That said, the political implications have been fascinating, especially for those of us who are West Virginians. Governor Joe Manchin (WV-Dino), was in Atlanta to attend WVU's first BCS bowl appearance at the Sugar Bowl on Monday evening. Though he's a big Mountaineer fan, he dropped everything, flew back to West Virginia, and has been on site all day, comforting the families and making sure that all of the necessary governmental resources are available. (As opposed to spending three days on vacation until forced by his staff to show concern for the poor people!) Governor Manchin has been getting good coverage on CNN and on the local TV stations. The state's only Republican congresswoman, Shelley Moore Capito, also went on site, but is only getting coverage on the local Sinclair Broadcasting-owned station.

Gov. Manchin is up for re-election in 2008; Ms. Capito is due for a difficult re-election battle in 2006. As the largest recipient of money from Tom Delay's PAC, money she has so far refused to return, she will have big problems if a decent candidate with good name recognition can be found to run against her.

[bluestateguy]

7. This is what happens when you don't enforce OHSA rules

When OSHA is run by a bunch of powerful white men with cowboy hats ("bidness men"): you get unsafe workplace environments and more deadly accidents.

[stray cat]

9. Maybe right but I'm not ready to politicise it yet

since I don't know whether the cause of the incident was due to breaking OHSA rules.
Accidents can happen even if the rules are followed.

I sure hope the miners are safe and can be rescued. They are a long way down.

[hezekkia]

17. agreed.

we dont know any facts yet. hope these guys are alright.

[maxrandb]

41. And That's why we will be a minority party

IMHO.

Look, this is a terrible tragedy, but how quickly do you think Repukes "politicize" things? History, and a listen to any of the millions of hours of red-meat radio fouling our airways each year tells us that they "politicize" stuff so fast it makes your head spin.

Democrats insist on being "too nice". We wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or impugn anyone's integrity (even when you have Repukes that have no integrity.

I want my party to fight, and even fight "dirty" if need be, and Damn it!!! NEED BE!!!

It's time to fight these fascists the "Chicago Way". They send one of ours to the hospital, we send one of theirs to the morgue.

That's just MHO, anyway

[benburch]

10. Don't be so quick on that...

even if the rules are enforced, you get mine explosions. They are an inevitable thing.

[Divernan]

27. W VA. NPR report: this mine had 140 violations/70 major ones in past year

That's safety violations.The reporter was interviewing a local college vice-president who had been in charge of mine safety some years back.

[schaar]

52. I agree

The company that owns the mine was cited for over 200 safety citations in 2005. The regulations in the United States have NO TEETH! Worker safety continues to be a big problem.

[mcscajun]

11. Freak accident?

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - A coal mine explosion that may have been sparked by lightning trapped 13 miners more than a mile underground Monday, state officials said.

(snip)

A trained mine rescue team was en route. The mine is about 100 miles northeast of Charleston in the north-central part of the state.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known and details were sketchy, but Ramsburg said officials believe it may have been caused by a lightning strike. A series of severe thunderstorms moved through West Virginia early Monday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10682163/

My heart is in my throat on this one...to be trapped in the dark underground. :scared:

I feel for them and their loved ones.

[stray cat]

12. Thanks for the update

[primavera]

57. Pretty predictable "freak" accident

Judging from today's NYTimes, it sounds like these guys are pretty accustomed to getting staggering numbers of safety code violations and doing precisely squat to address those problems - it being cheaper to pay the petty cash fines than to fix the problems; don't you just love the free market?

According to the agency, the Sago mine received 208 citations in 2005, up from 68 in 2004. Sixteen of those were for violations that the mine operators knew about but did not repair before inspectors caught them, the agency said. The company said those numbers were not out of the ordinary. - New York Times

[Maine-ah]

13. Blast traps 13 miners in West Virginia

Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET Jan. 2, 2006


TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. - A coal mine explosion that may have been sparked by lightning trapped 13 miners more than a mile underground Monday, state officials said.

“There was some type of explosion either heard or felt by the miners attempting to go in the mine for a shift change,” said Lara Ramsburg, spokeswoman for Gov. Joe Manchin. “They then backtracked out of the mine.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10682163/

[cmd]

16. Background on the company - looks like a non-union

from the msnbc story:
In November, International Coal Group, headed by New York billionaire Wilbur Ross, said in a filing that it hoped to raise up to $291.7 million in a planned initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ross, who specializes in buying and selling troubled companies, and partners bought most of Horizon Natural Resources Co. — once the nation’s fourth largest coal company — for $786 million in 2004, after a U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled that Horizon did not have to honor union contracts that guaranteed benefits for the miners. Ross added Anker Coal Group and CoalQuest Development LLC to form ICG.

[tabasco]

14. Prayers for these men.

I know a lot of coal miners and they are good people.

[caligirl]

21. This could be another "Brownie" like problem

Don't be fooled by government statistics showing a reduction in coal-mine fatalities over the past year. The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) likes to tout its success in making American coal mines safer, but the UMWA knows the whole truth, including all the "near misses" that easily could have resulted in fatalities.

"We believe MSHA is failing on many fronts in its job to protect America's miners," said President Roberts. "Ineffective oversight of mine safety, reduced funds and manpower to enforce the Mine Safety & Health Act, scrapping of critical safety and health regulations and increased industry/political favoritism within the agency—these are among the MSHA shortcomings that have contributed to a slew of mining accidents and endangered the lives of our nation's coal miners."

The federal agency has repeatedly ignored miners' calls for reforms to reduce dangerous levels of respirable coal dust and put an end to cheating by operators on dust and air-quality tests. In the meantime, black lung continues to plague thousands of miners as the agency attempts to let operators off the hook. And now, MSHA is pushing hard to loosen its respirable coal dust rules that protect miners from black lung. ...........

>>>>Look Who's at MSHA Now: Industry Influence Holds Upper Hand

Officials from the mining industry have assumed MSHA's top ranks and are now responsible for enforcing mandatory federal regulations and, ultimately, ensuring that coal miners are protected. These officials, who once operated coal mines, now run the regulatory agency. Appointed to both political and career positions, they now appear to use their influence to advance industry interests and help former associates.

Utah native Dave Lauriski held various management positions in Energy West Mining before his appointment as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health.

Other Bush Administration appointees, who wield control over safety and health policies, also came from industry:
# Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for MSHA John Caylor held management jobs with Cyprus Minerals Co., Amax Mining Co. and Magma Copper Co.
# Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for MSHA John Correll served in management posts at Amax Mining and Peabody Coal companies.
# Special Assistant for MSHA Mark Ellis served as legal counsel to the American Mining Congress.
# Chief of Health for Coal Melinda Pon was a management official at BHP Minerals-Utah International.

"When MSHA's top leaders sit down to decide agency policy, it is now a meeting of former mine managers," said Roberts. MSHA's new leadership has withdrawn action on some 17 health and safety standards and manipulated much of the agency's regulatory action to appease industry demands.

http://tinyurl.com/9ev3a

[GrpCaptMandrake]

22. The mine is owned by ICG

which is largely financed by a billionaire predator named Wilbur Ross. Ross, inconjunction with Massey Energy, was also instrumental in the purchase of bankrupt Horizon Energy. His lawyers persuaded a bankruptcy judge in Kentucky to void the pensions and healthcare of both the current Horizon workers and the retirees.

ICG took over the Sago Mines (where the explosion occurred) in November. Mine has a history of violations.

I'm making an assumption that this is a non-union operation.

[Ian David]

50. Massey Energy and Stan Suboleski, Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

Stan Suboleski: Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
Suboleski is an executive with the A.C. Massey Coal Company which, according to the United Mineworkers, has one of the worst safety records in the industry. Massey is also the company responsible for the annihilation of more than 70 miles of streams in eastern Kentucky when 300 million gallons of coal sludge spilled from one of its mines. It was the worst ecological disaster in the US since the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Stan's appointment was a recess appointment, meaning that his appointment was made during a senate recess, freeing him from requiring senate confirmation hearings.
http://www.pushby.com/queue/politics/002511.html

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/bushco/cronyism.htm

[Dr.Phool]

51. Ross is also the guy who took over LTV steel with ISG

And then bought Bethlehem Steel, and gutted the pensions of steelworkers before selling it for a huge profit.

About a week after they re-started operations at LTV, a friend of mine, in the railroads division was killed. Crushed between 2 railroad cars.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

23. My heart and prayers go out to the miners and their families....

my great-grandfather was killed in a coal mining accident. Mining is and has always been hazardous work.

[davidinalameda]

24. my thoughts and prayers go out as well

I'm from West Virginia and it's still my home no matter where I live

sad day for the state

[caligirl]

25. They should slam Bush for this.

http://tinyurl.com/9nce9

Feb. 4, 2002—The administration submits its FY 2003 budget proposal to Congress. The president proposed funding cuts for the nation’s worker safety and health programs, including a $9 million reduction for OSHA, a $4 million cut for MSHA and a $28.3 million cut for NIOSH. At OSHA, reductions are targeted at safety and health standards, enforcement and worker training and education, while increases are proposed for compliance assistance and consultation programs for employers. At MSHA, cuts are targeted at coal enforcement at a time when coal-mining deaths have increased for three years straight. While major increases are sought for homeland security and programs to protect the public from bioterrorist attacks, no funds are being sought for OSHA or NIOSH to protect workers from these threats.

[mcscajun]

26. More info...

The mine has a single entrance, and the shaft winds its way for miles underground. The miners were supposed to be working about 160 feet below the surface, said the wife of one of the trapped men. But it was unclear how far into the shaft they had gone when the blast struck.

Gene Kitts, a senior vice president at ICG, said that drilling straight down to reach the miners might be possible, but that rescuers would first have to establish the workers' exact location before determining the best way to proceed.

''If the miners are barricaded, as we hope they are, they would prepare themselves for rescue by rationing,'' Kitts said. The miners would probably have only their lunches and water on hand.

(snip)

Miners who work in the mine carry individual air purifying systems that would give them up to seven hours of clean air, said Tim McGee, who works at the mine and was among those at the church. They do not carry oxygen tanks, he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Mine-Explosion.html?hp&ex=1136264400&en=0e0a4c0f5b7e37cc&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[benburch]

28. Special coverage of WV Mine Explosion on NOW.

http://www.WhiteRoseSociety.org/Kincaid.html <--- Stream links here.

[davsand]

30. My heart goes out to those miners and their families.

I surely hope they get them out of there safely and SOON.

Have they heard anything to let them know where the miners are at in the mine or if they are ok? I'd bet that those guys are trying to make some kind of noise if they are awake and waiting to go home...


Laura

[spinbaby]

31. This hits close to home

My son works in a coal mine.

[oasis]

32. Dumbass Wolf Blizter asks one of the trapped miner's wives why did

her husband chose to be a miner. :wtf:

[theHandpuppet]

33. Wolf again wins the Stupid Asshole of the Week Award

What a vile creature.

[Frank Cannon]

54. He's won this award so many times, they need to retire him...

and just display his scraggy beard in the Stupid A-hole Hall of Fame.

[MADem]

39. I hope she said because he couldn't stand the idea of

being a media whore like you, Wolfie, and he majored in journalism in college. I mean, REALLY, what an absurd question.

What an ass. No surprise he used to work for Pat Robertson... http://www.yuricareport.com/Media/OnPatRobertsonWolfeBlitzerAndDavidCorn.html (scroll down for the dirty details)

[davsand]

34. Just saw the Mining Company press conference.

The press conference about the trapped miners was just on. They (the mining company) stated that right after the explosion they had people who went in the mine and got about 9000 feet in before the air got bad and they turned back. No debris or cave ins were seen this morning.

Right now, they say the rescue crews are about 4000 feet in. The air quality is said to be acceptable ranges of oxygen and CO2 with no Methane detected.

My big question for people who know something about mining is, WHY has it taken so long for the rescue teams to get halfway in if there is no debris and the air quality is OK?

They have also tried to start drilling.


Laura

[Staph]

35. Why it's taking so long to get into the mine....

I'm not a miner, no miners in my family, but I am a West Virginian. The typical mine is three to four feet high. The rescue teams are either crawling or duck-walking to get in, and stopping frequently to measure the air quality and to re-establish communications to the ground level.

ETA -- the rescue teams, unlike the first group that made it into the mine 8000 feet, are carrying rescue and medical equipment.

[lwin]

37. Thanks for the info..

I was beginning to wonder about that.

[davsand]

47. Thank you for that info. It helps.

I really couldn't understand why it was taking so long for the rescue crews to advance. If they have to secure te mine and maybe make some repairs along the way to secure it and make it safer, that would make sense that it takes a while.

This morning they were saying on NPR that they were detecting high levels of Carbon Monoxide and that doesn't sound good at all. I do hope that everyone comes out ok.


Laura

[sidpleasant]

53. Right

I'm no miner either but I have a relative (now deceased) who had been one for a while in the early '30s when Democratic politicians purged all the Republican teachers from the schools in Wyoming County, WV. He'd been injured in a minor cave in and carried some small pieces of coal under the skin of his hands for the rest of his life. The miners only want the coal, not the rock above and below it. If layer of coal (the "coal seam") is only a few feet thick that's all they excavate. The mining machines that grind up the coal seam are barely taller than a garden tractor. There's a mine in Beckley WV that has been made into a museum and it's a fascinating place, very much worth the trip to the out of the way town. You go 1500 feet inside the mine on old mining rail cars. At one point the guide briefly kills the lights and you'll never experience blacker darkness in your life.

[jarab]

40. kick !

...O...

[Judi Lynn]

42. Mine rescuers ordered to the surface

Mine rescuers ordered to the surface
03/01/2006 - 11:38:10

Rescuers who had penetrated more than 9,000 feet into a West Virginia coal mine where 13 miners were believed trapped were ordered to return to the surface today as a drilling crew prepared to punch into the mine with a 6 1/4 inch hole.

Meanwhile, a track-mounted robot brought from a federal Mine Safety and Health Administration office was being prepared to be sent into the mine.

The robot is equipped with a camera and sensors to measure air quality.

Officials thought the workers should be removed from the mine in case the drilling caused the air to shift, said Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group Inc.
(snip/...)

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/01/03/story237721.html

[Judi Lynn]

43. Listening hole bored for 13 W. Va. miners

Listening hole bored for 13 W. Va. miners
TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Rescuers drilled a ventilation and listening hole early Tuesday in a West Virginia coalmine where 13 workers were trapped 260 feet below ground.

"The holdup is they want to make sure they're drilling in the right place," said Jim Spears, the state's secretary of military affairs and public safety. "In this particular case, you have to determine where you best think the miners are going to be located and then transfer that data to the surface point."

Monday morning, an explosion shook the International Coal Group's Sago Mine, and there has been no contact with the missing men since, CNN reported. Six miners from another team managed to escape unharmed.
(snip/...)

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060103-064117-4232r

[Judi Lynn]

44. Drillers Punch Through Near Trapped Miners

Drillers Punch Through Near Trapped Miners
Drillers Punch Through Near Site Where 13 W.Va. Coal Miners Believed Trapped

By JENNIFER C. YATES Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. Jan 3, 2006 — Rescuers trying to reach 13 trapped miners have successfully drilled a hole into the mine, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin said.

Appearing on morning talk shows, Manchin said a drilling crew punched a small hole into the Sago coal mine and will insert a track-mounted robot equipped with a camera and sensors to measure air quality.

"They've drilled down through," Manchin said. "We're still hoping for that miracle as you know," he told ABC's "Good Morning America."

Earlier, rescuers penetrated more than 9,000 feet near the mine, but were ordered out in case the drilling caused the air to shift, said Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group Inc. Crews were drilling the hole to test for poisonous gases and to try to detect signs of life.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1464884

[spinbaby]

45. The air quality is not good

They just said on NPR .

[Eugene]

46. BBC: Hopes fade for trapped US miners

Last Updated: Tuesday, 3 January 2006, 13:47 GMT

Hopes fade for trapped US miners

Air quality tests in the US coal mine where 13 workers have been trapped since an explosion
on Monday are very discouraging, officials say.

Rescuers drilled a hole into the shaft and found high carbon monoxide levels, although the miners
may still be alive.

"They could be in another location or they could be barricaded somewhere," the head of the mining
company said.

A robot has been sent down to help rescuers decide if it is safe to go further into the West Virginia
mine.

<snip>

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4577668.stm

[Hyernel]

55. Okay...my job COULD be worse.

We should be using robots down there....not people. Although I guess, to the mining companies, people are cheaper.

[Judi Lynn]

56. List of Miners Trapped in W.Va.

List of Miners Trapped in W.Va.
MineList of Miners Trapped in West Virginia Coal Mine
The Associated Press

Jan 3, 2006 — A partial listing of the 13 West Virginia coal miners who were trapped underground Monday in an explosion, according to interviews with family members.

Alva Martin Bennett, 50, of Buckhannon

Jim Bennett, 61, of Philippi

Jerry Groves, 57, of Cleveland, W.Va.

George Hamner Jr., of Gladyfork, age unavailable

Terry Helms, 50, of Newburg

David Lewis, 28, of Philippi

Randal McCloy, 27, of Simpson

Martin Toler, 50, of Flatwoods

Fred Ware Jr., 59, of Tallmansville

Jack Weaver, 52, of Philippi

Marshall Winans, 49, of Talbert
(snip/)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1467249