Man killed by coal truck near Crum
Man killed in crash on U.S. 52 near Crum CRUM, W.Va. -- U.S. 52 was closed Wednesday morning after an early morning crash that killed a person north of Crum. The Wayne County Sheriff's Department is investigating.The accident happened about 3:30 a.m. near the intersection of Webb Road and U.S. 52. It involved a coal truck and pick-up truck.One person died from injuries sustained in the crash. No other injuries were reported, according to Wayne County 911.The crash scene is about seven miles north of Crum. The roadway was re-opened about 8 a.m.
Friday, September 14, 2007
State Supreme Court upholds verdict against coal company
State Supreme Court upholds verdict against coal company
By Tom SearlsStaff writer
The state Supreme Court upheld a Mingo Circuit Court ruling Wednesday ordering a coal company to provide potable water to people whose water supply has been contaminated.
Residents of four Mingo County communities said Rawl Sales & Processing Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy Co., had destroyed their water quality. The Mingo County court had ordered the company to provide emergency temporary drinking water to people whose water supply has been contaminated.
Instead, Rawl appealed the order to the state Supreme Court, where justices unanimously rejected their arguments and declined to hear the case Wednesday. The original 2006 circuit court order said the firm should provide bottled water each week to 194 people in the Lick Creek, Rawl, Merrimac and Sprigg areas. After the company refused, residents received water from the Mingo County Office of Emergency Services.
The order is related to litigation accusing Rawl of contaminating wells with coal slurry. Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury noted it would be up to a jury to decide if the firm is responsible for polluting the water system, but issued the order because a preponderance of “evidence tends to implicate the defendant.”
Rawl’s appeal maintained that most of the plaintiffs hadn’t proved they live near contaminated water.
But while the Supreme Court upheld the circuit court ruling, it comes a little late. Using federal Abandoned Mine Lands money, water lines from the city of Williamson have already been extended to the residents.
The circuit court held the order in abeyance only until potable water was available to the residents.
About 450 plaintiffs have sued Massey and Rawl over the alleged contamination since September 2004, according to a Massey quarterly report to the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission. Massey said in the filing that its insurance should cover the damages.
Attorneys for both sides could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
By Tom SearlsStaff writer
The state Supreme Court upheld a Mingo Circuit Court ruling Wednesday ordering a coal company to provide potable water to people whose water supply has been contaminated.
Residents of four Mingo County communities said Rawl Sales & Processing Co., a subsidiary of Massey Energy Co., had destroyed their water quality. The Mingo County court had ordered the company to provide emergency temporary drinking water to people whose water supply has been contaminated.
Instead, Rawl appealed the order to the state Supreme Court, where justices unanimously rejected their arguments and declined to hear the case Wednesday. The original 2006 circuit court order said the firm should provide bottled water each week to 194 people in the Lick Creek, Rawl, Merrimac and Sprigg areas. After the company refused, residents received water from the Mingo County Office of Emergency Services.
The order is related to litigation accusing Rawl of contaminating wells with coal slurry. Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury noted it would be up to a jury to decide if the firm is responsible for polluting the water system, but issued the order because a preponderance of “evidence tends to implicate the defendant.”
Rawl’s appeal maintained that most of the plaintiffs hadn’t proved they live near contaminated water.
But while the Supreme Court upheld the circuit court ruling, it comes a little late. Using federal Abandoned Mine Lands money, water lines from the city of Williamson have already been extended to the residents.
The circuit court held the order in abeyance only until potable water was available to the residents.
About 450 plaintiffs have sued Massey and Rawl over the alleged contamination since September 2004, according to a Massey quarterly report to the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission. Massey said in the filing that its insurance should cover the damages.
Attorneys for both sides could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Company conducts live test of mine shelter
Company conducts live test of mine shelter
September 14, 2007 11:38 AM
UNDATED
A small West Virginia company that sells emergency life support equipment for underground coal mines is conducting a live Internet demonstration of its gear.Chapmanville-based Mine Lifeline co-founder Rick Abraham says he wants to show that the company can provide 96 hours of breathable air to trapped miners. That's the amount required by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Abraham says he also wants to demonstrate the value of sealing an area instead of a self-contained shelter. Mine Lifeline is relying on airtight barricades, oxygen bottles and chemical curtains that remove carbon dioxide.
Abraham says 11 volunteers are participating in the four-day test that started Tuesday in an undisclosed Logan County mine. Live video and pictures of the test are being shown on Mine Lifeline's web site: www.minelifeline.com.
The gear hasn't been approved by state regulators.
West Virginia mines can choose from a dozen portable designs approved by the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.
Information from: The Dominion Post, http://www.dominionpost.com
September 14, 2007 11:38 AM
UNDATED
A small West Virginia company that sells emergency life support equipment for underground coal mines is conducting a live Internet demonstration of its gear.Chapmanville-based Mine Lifeline co-founder Rick Abraham says he wants to show that the company can provide 96 hours of breathable air to trapped miners. That's the amount required by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Abraham says he also wants to demonstrate the value of sealing an area instead of a self-contained shelter. Mine Lifeline is relying on airtight barricades, oxygen bottles and chemical curtains that remove carbon dioxide.
Abraham says 11 volunteers are participating in the four-day test that started Tuesday in an undisclosed Logan County mine. Live video and pictures of the test are being shown on Mine Lifeline's web site: www.minelifeline.com.
The gear hasn't been approved by state regulators.
West Virginia mines can choose from a dozen portable designs approved by the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.
Information from: The Dominion Post, http://www.dominionpost.com
Spike in black lung cases reported
Spike in black lung cases reported
UMWA chief responds to alarming news, calls for investigation
Beckley Register-Herald (subscription) - Beckley,WV,USAMannix PorterfieldSeptember 13, 2007
Three decades after miners were assured the dreaded scourge of black lung disease was on its way out, the disorder is surfacing in “alarming numbers,” and the United Mine Workers of America wants to know why.UMWA President Cecil Roberts, responding to a report this week in Wheeling showing incidents of black lung have doubled within the past years, called for an investigation.“Either the respirable dust standard is not being enforced by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or the standard is still too high,” he said in a statement Thursday.“It’s likely to be the result of a combination of both factors.”Under the 1969 Mine Safety and Health Act, respirable dust exposure was limited to 2 milligrams per cubic foot of air.Recent data revealed the prevalence of miners with symptoms of black lung bottomed out in 1999, but since has climbed among miners with more than 20 years of experience in underground mines.Miners with 25 or more years’ experience have witnessed a jump of from just under 5 percent to almost 10 percent, while the less experienced miners have gone up to 2 percent.Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, a representative of the UMWA, agreed a formal inquiry is in order to learn the reasons for the upsurge in pneumoconiosis.“I have heard of a spike in black lung claims, and this is certainly worth looking into,” Caputo said while attending a union meeting in Charleston.“What we need to do at the state level, I’m not sure yet. But if more miners are contracting this disease, we have an obligation to look into it.”Black lung data was unveiled Tuesday in Wheeling at the annual session of the National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics.Its medical director, Dr. Robert Cohen, suggested something was clearly wrong with the methods used to control respirable dust in the nation’s mines.“This data is extremely alarming,” he said.“Given the time lag time between exposure and discovery of disease, these findings are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. We should not be seeing this prevalence rate or this type of advanced disease in the 21st century.”If MSHA has been enforcing the law, Roberts said, then the latest numbers prove the standard needs to be lowered, a goal of a pending supplemental proposal to the MINER Act, passed after the Sago Mine tragedy in West Virginia.“Miners need action now,” he added.
UMWA chief responds to alarming news, calls for investigation
Beckley Register-Herald (subscription) - Beckley,WV,USAMannix PorterfieldSeptember 13, 2007
Three decades after miners were assured the dreaded scourge of black lung disease was on its way out, the disorder is surfacing in “alarming numbers,” and the United Mine Workers of America wants to know why.UMWA President Cecil Roberts, responding to a report this week in Wheeling showing incidents of black lung have doubled within the past years, called for an investigation.“Either the respirable dust standard is not being enforced by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or the standard is still too high,” he said in a statement Thursday.“It’s likely to be the result of a combination of both factors.”Under the 1969 Mine Safety and Health Act, respirable dust exposure was limited to 2 milligrams per cubic foot of air.Recent data revealed the prevalence of miners with symptoms of black lung bottomed out in 1999, but since has climbed among miners with more than 20 years of experience in underground mines.Miners with 25 or more years’ experience have witnessed a jump of from just under 5 percent to almost 10 percent, while the less experienced miners have gone up to 2 percent.Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, a representative of the UMWA, agreed a formal inquiry is in order to learn the reasons for the upsurge in pneumoconiosis.“I have heard of a spike in black lung claims, and this is certainly worth looking into,” Caputo said while attending a union meeting in Charleston.“What we need to do at the state level, I’m not sure yet. But if more miners are contracting this disease, we have an obligation to look into it.”Black lung data was unveiled Tuesday in Wheeling at the annual session of the National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics.Its medical director, Dr. Robert Cohen, suggested something was clearly wrong with the methods used to control respirable dust in the nation’s mines.“This data is extremely alarming,” he said.“Given the time lag time between exposure and discovery of disease, these findings are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. We should not be seeing this prevalence rate or this type of advanced disease in the 21st century.”If MSHA has been enforcing the law, Roberts said, then the latest numbers prove the standard needs to be lowered, a goal of a pending supplemental proposal to the MINER Act, passed after the Sago Mine tragedy in West Virginia.“Miners need action now,” he added.
MSHA won't allow Mach Mine to reopen until safe
MSHA won't allow Mach Mine to reopen until safe
September 14, 2007
JOHNSTON CITY — A Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman said Thursday that efforts are under way to repair the damage that had been done to the roof of the Mach Mine in Johnston City, which collapsed late Sunday evening.
Amy Louviere said the Arlington, Va.-based federal agency was contacted about the accident on its 24-hour emergency phone line at 11 p.m. Sunday by a mine representative. An inspector and field office supervisor were immediately dispatched to the site to assess the situation. After assessing the scene, an order was placed, Louviere said, requiring that the mine be shut down until it is “deemed safe to re-enter” by inspectors. No injuries were reported from the incident.
September 14, 2007
JOHNSTON CITY — A Mine Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman said Thursday that efforts are under way to repair the damage that had been done to the roof of the Mach Mine in Johnston City, which collapsed late Sunday evening.
Amy Louviere said the Arlington, Va.-based federal agency was contacted about the accident on its 24-hour emergency phone line at 11 p.m. Sunday by a mine representative. An inspector and field office supervisor were immediately dispatched to the site to assess the situation. After assessing the scene, an order was placed, Louviere said, requiring that the mine be shut down until it is “deemed safe to re-enter” by inspectors. No injuries were reported from the incident.
Statement of Richard E. Stickler,
Statement of Richard E. Stickler,Assistant Secretary of Labor, Mine Safety And Health Administration Before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate - September 5, 2007 - Crandall Canyon Mine Accident http://www.msha.gov/Media/CONGRESS/2007/09052007.pdf
Small Ontario company poised to cut danger for miners with wireless system
Small Ontario company poised to cut danger for miners with wireless system
The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON
September 13, 2007
WASHINGTON (CP) — It's no wonder Canadian Steve Barrett felt sick when he heard about the cave-ins last month at Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine.
Days before, Barrett, who heads a Burlington, Ontario company that makes wireless communications systems, made a presentation to the owners during a marathon of meetings with every major coal-mining company in the United States.
His pitch? An underground tracking network he invented with partner Andy Stein to guide miners to safety and help those above ground locate people who are trapped.
At Crandall Canyon, three rescuers died in August trying to find six trapped miners. It was a devastating rescue effort that involved drilling six bore holes from above over several days.
It would have taken weeks to install the new wireless system even if Crandall's owners, Murray Energy Corp., had the time to make a decision on the technology.
But could it have saved anyone?
Hard to tell, says Barrett, president of ActiveControl Technology Inc., but the location of the miners could have been narrowed down much more quickly to a specific area.
That's because the system, which outfits miners with phones so they can talk to people above or send them text messages, also provides each worker with little grey tracking devices that pinpoint precise locations via the wireless network.
"We would have been able to tell them where to bore the first hole within 35 feet," or about 10 metres, says Stein.
"The rescue efforts could have been more directed. If we had saved anybody, it would have been the safety workers."
The small Ontario company has been making wireless security and access control systems for use in buildings for 15 years.
After the Sago mine disaster in January 2006, one of Barrett's chief investors who does a lot of business with the American mining industry, Roger Rosmus in Toronto, asked if Barrett and Stein could devise something to track miners.
The early-morning explosion at Sago in West Virginia immediately killed one man. A dozen others survived the blast but all but one eventually succumbed to carbon monoxide asphyxiation while waiting 41 hours for help to arrive.
The miners couldn't communicate with the surface. And they mistakenly turned back just 45 metres from where the air quality started to improve.
"We didn't know anything about coal mining at the time," says Barrett. "It broke our hearts. We were confident that we could have built something that could have helped."
The company, working with Sago owners International Coal Group, developed a demonstration system by last August at the Viper Mine near Springfield, Illinois. The product was approved this summer by West Virginia mining officials for use in its underground operations.
Approval from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration is pending.
ActiveControl has applied for a patent on its wireless mesh network, which uses directional antennas to shoot signals down a mine's tunnels. The network allows the Wi-Fi telephones to communicate with one another and supports the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that tracks and locates miners.
The company is hoping to take advantage of new state safety regulations that require two-way voice communication and tracking in mines by July 2008.
Similar federal rules kick in the following year.
With 660 coal mines in the United States, many of them in West Virginia, and a total 1,100 underground mines across the country, the company is looking at a market of US$330 million and a worldwide market of five times that amount.
Canada only has a couple of coal mines and different safety rules.
The company's system costs between US$200,000 and $1 million to install depending on the size of the mine. It is based on wireless technology.
Other products in the United States, said Barrett, rely on some cable and are more easily compromised by roof falls, fires and explosions. Or they use old walkie-talkie technology that relies on a central antenna more susceptible to failure.
The Canadian version has battery backup that kicks in when electrical power is cut to a mine during an emergency, said Barrett, and it's cheaper to install and much easier to maintain.
The money-making potential is undeniable for a system that Resource World magazine said in May is positioned to "revolutionize communications in underground mining as well as various other mining operations."
But it's the chance to save lives in a dangerous industry that's driving Barrett, who's logged countless hours on the road away from home.
"It's the inspiration for our company. It's the right thing to be doing. Every once in a while we stop and think, this is all for the greater good."
On the web: http://www.activecontrol.com/
The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON
September 13, 2007
WASHINGTON (CP) — It's no wonder Canadian Steve Barrett felt sick when he heard about the cave-ins last month at Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine.
Days before, Barrett, who heads a Burlington, Ontario company that makes wireless communications systems, made a presentation to the owners during a marathon of meetings with every major coal-mining company in the United States.
His pitch? An underground tracking network he invented with partner Andy Stein to guide miners to safety and help those above ground locate people who are trapped.
At Crandall Canyon, three rescuers died in August trying to find six trapped miners. It was a devastating rescue effort that involved drilling six bore holes from above over several days.
It would have taken weeks to install the new wireless system even if Crandall's owners, Murray Energy Corp., had the time to make a decision on the technology.
But could it have saved anyone?
Hard to tell, says Barrett, president of ActiveControl Technology Inc., but the location of the miners could have been narrowed down much more quickly to a specific area.
That's because the system, which outfits miners with phones so they can talk to people above or send them text messages, also provides each worker with little grey tracking devices that pinpoint precise locations via the wireless network.
"We would have been able to tell them where to bore the first hole within 35 feet," or about 10 metres, says Stein.
"The rescue efforts could have been more directed. If we had saved anybody, it would have been the safety workers."
The small Ontario company has been making wireless security and access control systems for use in buildings for 15 years.
After the Sago mine disaster in January 2006, one of Barrett's chief investors who does a lot of business with the American mining industry, Roger Rosmus in Toronto, asked if Barrett and Stein could devise something to track miners.
The early-morning explosion at Sago in West Virginia immediately killed one man. A dozen others survived the blast but all but one eventually succumbed to carbon monoxide asphyxiation while waiting 41 hours for help to arrive.
The miners couldn't communicate with the surface. And they mistakenly turned back just 45 metres from where the air quality started to improve.
"We didn't know anything about coal mining at the time," says Barrett. "It broke our hearts. We were confident that we could have built something that could have helped."
The company, working with Sago owners International Coal Group, developed a demonstration system by last August at the Viper Mine near Springfield, Illinois. The product was approved this summer by West Virginia mining officials for use in its underground operations.
Approval from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration is pending.
ActiveControl has applied for a patent on its wireless mesh network, which uses directional antennas to shoot signals down a mine's tunnels. The network allows the Wi-Fi telephones to communicate with one another and supports the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that tracks and locates miners.
The company is hoping to take advantage of new state safety regulations that require two-way voice communication and tracking in mines by July 2008.
Similar federal rules kick in the following year.
With 660 coal mines in the United States, many of them in West Virginia, and a total 1,100 underground mines across the country, the company is looking at a market of US$330 million and a worldwide market of five times that amount.
Canada only has a couple of coal mines and different safety rules.
The company's system costs between US$200,000 and $1 million to install depending on the size of the mine. It is based on wireless technology.
Other products in the United States, said Barrett, rely on some cable and are more easily compromised by roof falls, fires and explosions. Or they use old walkie-talkie technology that relies on a central antenna more susceptible to failure.
The Canadian version has battery backup that kicks in when electrical power is cut to a mine during an emergency, said Barrett, and it's cheaper to install and much easier to maintain.
The money-making potential is undeniable for a system that Resource World magazine said in May is positioned to "revolutionize communications in underground mining as well as various other mining operations."
But it's the chance to save lives in a dangerous industry that's driving Barrett, who's logged countless hours on the road away from home.
"It's the inspiration for our company. It's the right thing to be doing. Every once in a while we stop and think, this is all for the greater good."
On the web: http://www.activecontrol.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
