Mine rescue effort in Utah halted indefinitely

[helderheid]

Officials will reassess their bracing methods after a 'seismic bump' leaves 3 searchers dead.
By Stephen Braun and Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
12:08 PM PDT, August 17, 2007

A federal official said today that the rescue effort at Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington, Utah, was suspended indefinitely after a "seismic bump" exploded with "tremendous force" last night, overwhelming interior ground support and burying a rescue team, killing at least three.

Richard Stickler, chief of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said at a news conference outside the collapsed mountaintop mine that some of the rescuers were buried beneath 2 to 3 feet of coal when a supporting coal pillar gave way. One of the victims was a federal mining official.

Stickler said the rescue effort at the "underground portion" of the mine would remain suspended while federal and company officials reassessed the reliability of the bracing built to protect the rescue teams digging toward the shaft where they hoped to find six miners trapped since an Aug. 6 cave-in at the central Utah mine.

The team is continuing to bore a fourth hole from the top of the mine. Three other boring efforts failed to reach the trapped miners.

more

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-collapse18aug18,0,3140306.story?coll=la-home-center

[partylessinOhio]

1. Well not everyone agrees with this:

Mexican Counsel urges mine rescue efforts to continue, despite tragedy
By Olga Muñoz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 08/17/2007 11:51:08 AM MDT


HUNTINGTON - A Mexican Consul wants the search for the six coal miners trapped in Crandall Canyon to continue -- despite last night's "seismic" bump that left three rescue workers dead and six men injured.

"I asked the governor to talk to mining officials so they can continue the search, but with a new strategy and in whatever capacity possible," said Consul Salvador Jimenez.

Three of the six missing miners are Mexicans. Jimenez acknowledged that Thursday's events have changed the rescue effort significantly.

Jimenez met with Gov. Jon Huntsman this morning just before the governor spoke to the families of the trapped miners- Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Alfonso Hernandez, Brandon Phillips, Juan Carlos Payan and Manuel Sanchez- at Canyon View Junior High School.

The consul said Huntsman told him officials were "going to continue all of their efforts and would not give up," and later relayed the message to the families inside the school.

When the governor left, Jimenez spoke with some of the family members of the Mexican miners, Hernandez and Payan, and said the two families appreciated the governor's words.

"They know that their miners will be brought out," he said. ...

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6649560

[liberalnurse]

2. Time to call Jerry Spence!

He can take this case all the way and secure Justice!

[Turbineguy]

4. Indeed

http://www.spencelawyers.com/

[liberalnurse]

6. Someone her must have

a way to communicate this option to the victim's families. He would find Justice! He also can swoon the media which helps too.....use all your assets.

The families have to make first contact. Jerry Spence can not.....it's the rule.

O8)

[helderheid]

13. I have plans to travel to Price sometime this week. Maybe I can find out how?

[liberalnurse]

14. Excellent.....

My intuition tells me this is what they need to hear....Jerry Spence to the rescue. He is very experienced with these types of abusive, negligent employers.

Excellent! :loveya: :hug:

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

3. This has been a sad story to watch unfold. I feel so bad for these miners and the families left

behind. My hubby worked in an underground copper mine for 7 years, both our Dads worked underground most all their lives. Just crying here.

[blondeatlast]

5. Oh, God. Is it wrong to wish karma on Murray and Stickler?

Look at the beautful girl's face. God bless them all. I'm in tears myself..

[mudesi]

7. Another "earthquake" in the same mine? (nm)

:eyes:

[Shipwack]

8. I'm not an expert...

I haven't even stayed at a Holiday Inn. But...

I thought that it was actually safer in a mine -after- a cave-in? Since everything that was going to fall would have already collapsed.

Maybe the entire mine is in atrocious condition safety-wise?

My heart and prayers go to these men and families...

[karlrschneider]

9. Unfortunately your impression isn't right. It's like saying "there was an earthquake so

there won't be another one."

(I'm not a mining engineer, my but I'm a pretty good one on structures, strength of materials from my aeronautical engineering courses and I do know a fair bit of geology thanks to my dad who was a quite well known geologist)

My impression is that they didn't sufficiently brace the voids after removing material. Maybe the way to do this is to build a concrete tunnel for egress...like the Chunnel doesn't collapse because it's reinforced redundantly. Of course that is very expensive and we pretty much know how safety vs. economy is viewed in these places. One alternative of course is just to scrape away the whole mountain, as has been done in other places...to the righteous outrage of many of us.

It's a horribly sad situation and it will probably repeat in the not so distant future.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

10. So true Karl, It will repeat. It always does.

Gotta make the money. Don't complain. Keep your head low and collect the check.

[karlrschneider]

11. Some consolation...the coal will eventually be all burned. Maybe.

It's race for extinction between us and the hydrocarbons...I have no idea who will "win"

[jgraz]

12. Seismic bump my ass

Has the USGS confirmed that there was a bump, or is this more ass-covering fantasy from Murray and Stickler?