Live Human Test of 96 Hour Emergency Breathable Air Refuge Successfully Completed!
September 17, 2007
Chapmanville WV - After more than 100,000 hits to the Mine Lifeline website last week, it is apparent that the interest in providing breathable air to trapped miners extends well beyond the mining community.
“Providing live streaming video to the general public allowed viewers, who might not understand this test, to see it first hand,” said James Nagle, IT/Operations Manager of Mine Lifeline, LLC. “I initially struggled to provide a still photograph from the mine site due to the limitations of the Internet connection. We ran more than two miles of wire and added sophisticated networking equipment in order to provide a connection fast enough to stream the live video. It was well worth the effort,” he added.
“We have performed many calculations over the past year to predict the success of our design, but there is nothing like an actual test to see how everything performs. Our results were actually better than expected. The live test provided us with hands on experience in maintaining a breathable environment. We also confirmed that the average miner is capable of using our system for survival. They [the miners] were pleased to see how easy it was to operate. The dynamics of maintaining breathable air in an emergency situation may be more complex than first thought. We were somewhat surprised by the differences detected in air quality caused by activities as simple as eating lunch. However, it is clear that the ExtendAir® lithium hydroxide curtains used for CO2 removal are more than capable of controlling the environment. The data we collected is invaluable,” said Jeremy Abraham, Chief Member of Mine Lifeline, LLC.
Mine Lifeline, LLC is looking forward to providing the results of this test to the mining industry as well as MSHA and NIOSH. “We felt it was absolutely necessary to perform this test. We understand why MSHA, NIOSH, and even the State of West Virginia could not participate or sanction the testing. We also knew that these organizations were not preventing us from conducting a live test. As one of the smallest companies in this business, we think it speaks volumes about our commitment to provide simple, workable, and tested 96 hour breathable air systems to the mining industry. We focused our efforts on performing the live test instead of finding excuses why we couldn't. We have always known our system could easily adapt to West Virginia's shelter definitions. They [West Virginia] should expect our application to be forthcoming. We believe our test will provide a wealth of information to both MSHA and NIOSH in finalizing their refuge standards,” said Jeremy Abraham.
Mine Lifeline, LLC is a leading manufacturer of Mine Safety Equipment based in Chapmanville, WV
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Miner found dead in Logan mine
Miner found dead in Logan mine
By Dawn Miller Staff writer
A coal miner was found dead at the bottom of a 350-foot mine shaft in Logan County Sunday morning, according to a West Virginia State Police trooper.
Robert D. Fraley, 53, had been missing for an uncertain stretch of time Sunday when workers found his body, according to State Police Trooper J.E. Williams.
“He was on the job and one of his co-workers realized he wasn’t in the area,” Williams said.
Although Williams said, “we have no reason to believe anything’s criminal” in the matter, he added, “circumstances may change” as investigators look into the incident. Williams was not available later Sunday for further clarification.
The Mingo Logan Coal Co. owns the Mountain Laurel Complex, the underground mine where Fraley was found dead, Williams said. The mine sits off W.Va. 17 in Sharples.
Mingo Logan is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Coal. Data on the West Virginia Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Web site notes that Arch has been the controller since July 1997.
Workers at the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management were notified of the death at 8:31 a.m., said Robert Jelacic, emergency services supervisor for the agency.
Williams said Fraley’s mining job required him to visit different West Virginia mines. Still, he was not exactly sure what duties Fraley performed. He may have been contracted to work at the Mingo Logan mine, Williams said.
The mine, also known as Mountaineer No. 2, reported 10 prior accidents for 2007 to federal regulators, according to MSHA’s Web site.
Of those minor accidents, seven involved injured workers.
This is the fifth mine fatality in West Virginia in 2007 and the second this month. On Sept. 3, Brent Reynolds, 35, of Virgie, Ky., was killed by a collapsing roof in the Consol of Kentucky Bronzite Mine near Naugatuck in Mingo County.
The death brings the nationwide number of mine fatalities this year to 25, according to data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
.
http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2007091613
By Dawn Miller Staff writer
A coal miner was found dead at the bottom of a 350-foot mine shaft in Logan County Sunday morning, according to a West Virginia State Police trooper.
Robert D. Fraley, 53, had been missing for an uncertain stretch of time Sunday when workers found his body, according to State Police Trooper J.E. Williams.
“He was on the job and one of his co-workers realized he wasn’t in the area,” Williams said.
Although Williams said, “we have no reason to believe anything’s criminal” in the matter, he added, “circumstances may change” as investigators look into the incident. Williams was not available later Sunday for further clarification.
The Mingo Logan Coal Co. owns the Mountain Laurel Complex, the underground mine where Fraley was found dead, Williams said. The mine sits off W.Va. 17 in Sharples.
Mingo Logan is a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Coal. Data on the West Virginia Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Web site notes that Arch has been the controller since July 1997.
Workers at the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management were notified of the death at 8:31 a.m., said Robert Jelacic, emergency services supervisor for the agency.
Williams said Fraley’s mining job required him to visit different West Virginia mines. Still, he was not exactly sure what duties Fraley performed. He may have been contracted to work at the Mingo Logan mine, Williams said.
The mine, also known as Mountaineer No. 2, reported 10 prior accidents for 2007 to federal regulators, according to MSHA’s Web site.
Of those minor accidents, seven involved injured workers.
This is the fifth mine fatality in West Virginia in 2007 and the second this month. On Sept. 3, Brent Reynolds, 35, of Virgie, Ky., was killed by a collapsing roof in the Consol of Kentucky Bronzite Mine near Naugatuck in Mingo County.
The death brings the nationwide number of mine fatalities this year to 25, according to data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
.
http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2007091613
Sunday, September 16, 2007
1 Killed in West Virginia Coal Mine
1 Killed in West Virginia Coal Mine
Associated Press
September 16, 2007
SHARPLES, W.Va. (AP) — A worker was killed Sunday in an underground coal mine in southern West Virginia, a state mine safety official said.
Ron Wooten, director of the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training said one person died at the Mountain Laurel Complex in Logan County, about 50 miles southwest of Charleston.
Wooten said his office is investigating, but that no other details — including the identity of the victim or how the person died — were immediately available.
The Mountain Laurel Complex is owned by a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Coal. The complex employs about 250 people. Calls company representatives were not immediately returned Sunday.
It's the second mine fatality in West Virginia this month, and the fifth this year.
The death brings the nationwide number of mine fatalities this year to 25, according to data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Associated Press
September 16, 2007
SHARPLES, W.Va. (AP) — A worker was killed Sunday in an underground coal mine in southern West Virginia, a state mine safety official said.
Ron Wooten, director of the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training said one person died at the Mountain Laurel Complex in Logan County, about 50 miles southwest of Charleston.
Wooten said his office is investigating, but that no other details — including the identity of the victim or how the person died — were immediately available.
The Mountain Laurel Complex is owned by a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Coal. The complex employs about 250 people. Calls company representatives were not immediately returned Sunday.
It's the second mine fatality in West Virginia this month, and the fifth this year.
The death brings the nationwide number of mine fatalities this year to 25, according to data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Stop the Assault on Appalachia!!
Stop the Assault on Appalachia!!
I've been looking for a better (easier, less red tape) way to get to the public commenting on the recently proposed reduction of the stream buffer zone in surface mining.... and Earthjustice to the rescue!
If you commented on the government's official site before, I would still encourage you to do it throught Earthjustice once more.... that way we KNOW it has been documented and recorded and not "lost."Via EarthJustice: The Bush administration has already relaxed Clean Water Act safeguards that protected Appalachian mountain streams from mountaintop removal mining and "King Coal." Now, the administration is trying to weaken the "buffer zone rule," a Reagan-era protection that prohibits coal mining activities from disturbing areas within 100 feet of streams.If this new rule goes forward, coal companies will be allowed to dump massive amounts of waste directly into streams, destroying them completely. Already, nearly 2,000 miles of mountain streams in Appalachia have been permanently buried by mountaintop removal waste. Destroying thousands of miles of mountain streams is more than irresponsible; it is immoral. Now is your chance to say "No" to this latest attempt to weaken or eliminate the buffer zone rule that has protected streams from coal mining activities for decades! Tell the administration to stop trying to diminish the buffer zone rule and start enforcing it!
Send the Bush Administration a letter or go to this web site.
http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/Buffer_Zone_Alert_Sept_2007
I've been looking for a better (easier, less red tape) way to get to the public commenting on the recently proposed reduction of the stream buffer zone in surface mining.... and Earthjustice to the rescue!
If you commented on the government's official site before, I would still encourage you to do it throught Earthjustice once more.... that way we KNOW it has been documented and recorded and not "lost."Via EarthJustice: The Bush administration has already relaxed Clean Water Act safeguards that protected Appalachian mountain streams from mountaintop removal mining and "King Coal." Now, the administration is trying to weaken the "buffer zone rule," a Reagan-era protection that prohibits coal mining activities from disturbing areas within 100 feet of streams.If this new rule goes forward, coal companies will be allowed to dump massive amounts of waste directly into streams, destroying them completely. Already, nearly 2,000 miles of mountain streams in Appalachia have been permanently buried by mountaintop removal waste. Destroying thousands of miles of mountain streams is more than irresponsible; it is immoral. Now is your chance to say "No" to this latest attempt to weaken or eliminate the buffer zone rule that has protected streams from coal mining activities for decades! Tell the administration to stop trying to diminish the buffer zone rule and start enforcing it!
Send the Bush Administration a letter or go to this web site.
http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/Buffer_Zone_Alert_Sept_2007
Coal must overcome ‘unsafe’ perception
Coal must overcome ‘unsafe’ perception
Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
September 16, 2007
BLUEFIELD — The coal industry always seems to be under attack. To hear industry people tell it, this is true now more than ever.
Coal’s impact on the environment is a big problem. As has been widely reported, some people have gone so far as to label coal a filthy fuel. Industry leaders are still coping with the fact that Congress passed an energy bill earlier this summer that promotes alternative fuels but ignores coal.
Safety may be an even bigger problem. Following last year’s Sago Mine disaster and Aracoma mine fire, the industry was subject to new state and federal safety laws.
Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, told Bluefield Coal Show attendees, “Unfortunately, the tragic events last year overshadowed decades of improvements and have not accurately portrayed how technologically advanced or how safe mining has become.”
Many industry leaders believe that the recent death of six miners and three rescue workers at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah will result in another round of regulation.
Following Crandall Canyon, Brett Harvey, president and chief executive officer of Consol Energy Inc., told the Utah Mining Association, “How we deal with the issue of mine safety going forward may very well determine the future of our industry. Not just mining underground, but the future of coal in our nation’s energy mix.”
Harvey, a Utah native, asked, “If we are perceived as ‘a dirty business’ when it comes to safety, why would our friends in Congress or the agencies work with us on other important issues? This perception even jeopardizes our role as a key provider of energy to the U.S. economy.”
Gov. Joe Manchin, speaking at the opening of the Bluefield Coal Show, said there are some who want to write coal out of the nation’s energy equation.
Bill Tate, executive vice president of Bucyrus International Inc., told a coal show audience that recent accidents “have made it very difficult at a time when we have so much of a negative force trying to hurt this industry.”
The mining equipment business has an inherent likelihood to succeed, Tate said. “There are only safety issues like Sago and Aracoma and Crandall Canyon that can stop us,” he said. “Concentrate on safety because it’s the only thing that can stop this ball rolling.
“We have to fight these battles,” he said. “Can we solve these issues? I know we can. We must work through these challenges. It will take a multiple-course approach.”
Harvey has challenged the industry to abandon its incremental approach to mine safety improvement and “drive accident rates to zero at every mine in the nation.”
Tate believes mine owners, manufacturers, coal state politicians, coal trade groups and grass-roots organizations need to tell coal’s positive points. “Anywhere you can contribute, this is the time to help,” he said.
Manchin said there’s an old saying, “If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will tell a story on you.” He said, “I don’t believe we’ve told our own story. I really believe we need somebody speaking nationally on energy and what can be done.”
Manchin advised the coal people to “make sure you have a single message that speaks to the value of what coal can do for our nation.”
Charleston Gazette - WV, USA
September 16, 2007
BLUEFIELD — The coal industry always seems to be under attack. To hear industry people tell it, this is true now more than ever.
Coal’s impact on the environment is a big problem. As has been widely reported, some people have gone so far as to label coal a filthy fuel. Industry leaders are still coping with the fact that Congress passed an energy bill earlier this summer that promotes alternative fuels but ignores coal.
Safety may be an even bigger problem. Following last year’s Sago Mine disaster and Aracoma mine fire, the industry was subject to new state and federal safety laws.
Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, told Bluefield Coal Show attendees, “Unfortunately, the tragic events last year overshadowed decades of improvements and have not accurately portrayed how technologically advanced or how safe mining has become.”
Many industry leaders believe that the recent death of six miners and three rescue workers at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah will result in another round of regulation.
Following Crandall Canyon, Brett Harvey, president and chief executive officer of Consol Energy Inc., told the Utah Mining Association, “How we deal with the issue of mine safety going forward may very well determine the future of our industry. Not just mining underground, but the future of coal in our nation’s energy mix.”
Harvey, a Utah native, asked, “If we are perceived as ‘a dirty business’ when it comes to safety, why would our friends in Congress or the agencies work with us on other important issues? This perception even jeopardizes our role as a key provider of energy to the U.S. economy.”
Gov. Joe Manchin, speaking at the opening of the Bluefield Coal Show, said there are some who want to write coal out of the nation’s energy equation.
Bill Tate, executive vice president of Bucyrus International Inc., told a coal show audience that recent accidents “have made it very difficult at a time when we have so much of a negative force trying to hurt this industry.”
The mining equipment business has an inherent likelihood to succeed, Tate said. “There are only safety issues like Sago and Aracoma and Crandall Canyon that can stop us,” he said. “Concentrate on safety because it’s the only thing that can stop this ball rolling.
“We have to fight these battles,” he said. “Can we solve these issues? I know we can. We must work through these challenges. It will take a multiple-course approach.”
Harvey has challenged the industry to abandon its incremental approach to mine safety improvement and “drive accident rates to zero at every mine in the nation.”
Tate believes mine owners, manufacturers, coal state politicians, coal trade groups and grass-roots organizations need to tell coal’s positive points. “Anywhere you can contribute, this is the time to help,” he said.
Manchin said there’s an old saying, “If you don’t tell your own story, someone else will tell a story on you.” He said, “I don’t believe we’ve told our own story. I really believe we need somebody speaking nationally on energy and what can be done.”
Manchin advised the coal people to “make sure you have a single message that speaks to the value of what coal can do for our nation.”
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Injured rescuers keeping a low profile
Injured rescuers keeping a low profile
But friends, family hail them as heroes
By Judy Fahys
The Salt Lake Tribune
September 14, 2007
PRICE - You might call them "The Silent Six."
The injured rescue workers who were rushed to the hospital last month after a second, fatal "bump" on Aug. 16 at the Crandall Canyon mine have doggedly avoided public recognition.
And while Utah's coal community has kept their identities a closely guarded secret, some names have begun to surface.
The good news is that at least two of them, Casey Metcalf of Price and Randy Bouldin of Huntington, say they're "OK" and "all right." That's pretty much all they'll say.
Meanwhile, Frank Markosek, a mine-safety inspector working alongside the rescue crews to unearth six miners who had been trapped 10 days earlier, is healing at home from injuries to his brain, bones and eye, said his daughter, Tammy Ardohain.
Like the families of other injured rescuers, Markosek's came forward reluctantly. They've been determined to keep the focus on the six miners who died in the massive cave-in Aug. 6 and the three rescuers who lost their lives in the second implosion, or "bump," 10 days later.
Markosek declined an interview. But his daughter, brimming with pride for her father, told his story.
"He doesn't see himself as a hero," Ardohain said. "He sees himself as doing a job that needed to be done to help others."
Markosek, 57, had spent more than 25 years in central Utah coal mines before signing on as an inspector with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) eight years ago. A kind and private family man, he also was known for his performances on the accordion and organ as one of the Argons, a local oldies rock group.
Because one of the family cars was idled in early August, Ardohain had been driving her dad to work the week of the accident. She remembers feeling uneasy about the fact that his duties would take him into the mine tunnel where co-owner UtahAmerican Energy Co. and MSHA workers were working feverishly to clear the rubble from the Aug. 6 collapse in hopes of reaching the missing six miners.
"I don't know how to explain it," she recalled. "I kept asking him if he had to go I would ask him every day if he was going."
He replied the same way he had when, as a child, she asked the same question. "He said, 'This is my job. I have to go and do my job. I have to go.' "
She heard about the 6:39 p.m. cave-in within an hour and called her mother. Both worked the phones, calling co-workers and anyone else who might know something until her husband told her Markosek had been sent to the emergency room at Castleview Hospital in Price.
It wasn't until 9 p.m. that they saw Markosek, whose injuries were all the more shocking because he seemed to his family "almost invincible." Hospital staff led Ardohain, her mother and sister, Teri, to see Markosek, who, they were told, could remember his name and Social Security number.
Coal and dried blood smudged his face. His left eye socket had been crushed. He was swathed in bedding up to his neck, which was wrapped in a neck collar.
"He doesn't remember any of it," said Ardohain, who remembers his faraway look when she and her mother asked if he knew they were there. "He remembers the helicopter ride, but that was it."
Tammy and her mother drove to Utah Valley Medical Center in Provo, the nearest trauma center, where Markosek had been flown to. They stayed with him in the intensive care unit nearly until dawn.
Somewhere else in the hospital was Gary Jensen, an MSHA roof safety specialist who died of his injuries that night.
And it wasn't until the surgeries began at 11 a.m. the next morning that they learned the full extent of Markosek's injuries.
The implosion had crushed his left eye socket and smashed his forehead, tearing his brain. His neck, ribs, tailbone and leg were broken. The surgeries took seven hours.
Markosek's sister, her husband and his mother came from Phoenix during the surgery, as did his boss, Ted Farmer. Other visitors over the next nine days included U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Markosek went home three weeks ago with an excellent prognosis. He should recover fully in about eight months, Ardohain said. "He's strong, very strong, and motivated."
He's talking about tackling a new woodworking project. He can walk with a walker and his vision has fully returned. He plays with his only grandchild, Ardohain's 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Reese.
"He looks good," said Diana Johnson, a family friend.
While Markosek, Bouldin and Metcalf are mending from their injuries, many in the community still wonder about the three rescuers who have not come forward. While hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into bank funds for families of those who died in Crandall Canyon, no one in the community seems to be aware of a similar fund for the injured rescuers.
Ardohain and Bouldin said they are not interested in money, although some of the injured workers find themselves in a bind now because of the layoffs that followed the mine disaster.
It is, they agreed, important that the injured rescuers are recognized for what they did.
But friends, family hail them as heroes
By Judy Fahys
The Salt Lake Tribune
September 14, 2007
PRICE - You might call them "The Silent Six."
The injured rescue workers who were rushed to the hospital last month after a second, fatal "bump" on Aug. 16 at the Crandall Canyon mine have doggedly avoided public recognition.
And while Utah's coal community has kept their identities a closely guarded secret, some names have begun to surface.
The good news is that at least two of them, Casey Metcalf of Price and Randy Bouldin of Huntington, say they're "OK" and "all right." That's pretty much all they'll say.
Meanwhile, Frank Markosek, a mine-safety inspector working alongside the rescue crews to unearth six miners who had been trapped 10 days earlier, is healing at home from injuries to his brain, bones and eye, said his daughter, Tammy Ardohain.
Like the families of other injured rescuers, Markosek's came forward reluctantly. They've been determined to keep the focus on the six miners who died in the massive cave-in Aug. 6 and the three rescuers who lost their lives in the second implosion, or "bump," 10 days later.
Markosek declined an interview. But his daughter, brimming with pride for her father, told his story.
"He doesn't see himself as a hero," Ardohain said. "He sees himself as doing a job that needed to be done to help others."
Markosek, 57, had spent more than 25 years in central Utah coal mines before signing on as an inspector with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) eight years ago. A kind and private family man, he also was known for his performances on the accordion and organ as one of the Argons, a local oldies rock group.
Because one of the family cars was idled in early August, Ardohain had been driving her dad to work the week of the accident. She remembers feeling uneasy about the fact that his duties would take him into the mine tunnel where co-owner UtahAmerican Energy Co. and MSHA workers were working feverishly to clear the rubble from the Aug. 6 collapse in hopes of reaching the missing six miners.
"I don't know how to explain it," she recalled. "I kept asking him if he had to go I would ask him every day if he was going."
He replied the same way he had when, as a child, she asked the same question. "He said, 'This is my job. I have to go and do my job. I have to go.' "
She heard about the 6:39 p.m. cave-in within an hour and called her mother. Both worked the phones, calling co-workers and anyone else who might know something until her husband told her Markosek had been sent to the emergency room at Castleview Hospital in Price.
It wasn't until 9 p.m. that they saw Markosek, whose injuries were all the more shocking because he seemed to his family "almost invincible." Hospital staff led Ardohain, her mother and sister, Teri, to see Markosek, who, they were told, could remember his name and Social Security number.
Coal and dried blood smudged his face. His left eye socket had been crushed. He was swathed in bedding up to his neck, which was wrapped in a neck collar.
"He doesn't remember any of it," said Ardohain, who remembers his faraway look when she and her mother asked if he knew they were there. "He remembers the helicopter ride, but that was it."
Tammy and her mother drove to Utah Valley Medical Center in Provo, the nearest trauma center, where Markosek had been flown to. They stayed with him in the intensive care unit nearly until dawn.
Somewhere else in the hospital was Gary Jensen, an MSHA roof safety specialist who died of his injuries that night.
And it wasn't until the surgeries began at 11 a.m. the next morning that they learned the full extent of Markosek's injuries.
The implosion had crushed his left eye socket and smashed his forehead, tearing his brain. His neck, ribs, tailbone and leg were broken. The surgeries took seven hours.
Markosek's sister, her husband and his mother came from Phoenix during the surgery, as did his boss, Ted Farmer. Other visitors over the next nine days included U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Markosek went home three weeks ago with an excellent prognosis. He should recover fully in about eight months, Ardohain said. "He's strong, very strong, and motivated."
He's talking about tackling a new woodworking project. He can walk with a walker and his vision has fully returned. He plays with his only grandchild, Ardohain's 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Reese.
"He looks good," said Diana Johnson, a family friend.
While Markosek, Bouldin and Metcalf are mending from their injuries, many in the community still wonder about the three rescuers who have not come forward. While hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into bank funds for families of those who died in Crandall Canyon, no one in the community seems to be aware of a similar fund for the injured rescuers.
Ardohain and Bouldin said they are not interested in money, although some of the injured workers find themselves in a bind now because of the layoffs that followed the mine disaster.
It is, they agreed, important that the injured rescuers are recognized for what they did.
Miners picket DEP in Uniontown
Miners picket DEP in Uniontown
Connellsville Daily Courier - Connellsville,PA,USA
by Michael Cope
September 15, 2007
A group of 30 coal miners picketed Friday outside a state Department of Environmental Protection branch office in South Union to highlight alleged unsafe conditions at Cumberland Mine.
Members of United Mine Workers of America Local 2300 claim Foundation Coal Holdings Inc. of Linthicum Heights, Md., has operated the Greene County mine since August without proper ventilation.
The workers protested for three hours in front of the Bureau of Mine Safety location at the Fayette County Health Center along New Salem Road.
"We want the state to enforce the safety laws in place since 1961," said Tony Brnusak, president of Local 2300. "We want to make people aware, and the state aware: Safety is first."
Cumberland Mine was established in 1977 about 12 miles south of Waynesburg. The complex employs 611 workers and shipped 7 million tons of coal in 2005.
Brnusak said the fans went down three weeks ago, and, according to safety regulations, the company is required to egress the mine within 15 minutes.
Only after the mine is evacuated should a walk-through examination happen, Brnusak said. But management argues certified personnel were permitted in the facility as the outage was remediated.
"Cumberland Coal Resources management complied with regulations as interpreted by the Pennsylvania Department of Deep Mine Safety," Foundation Coal Holdings spokesman Peter Vietti said. "Management allowed certified examiners to remain in the mine when the ventilation fan restarted after a brief outage."
State police dispatched three units with four troopers to maintain order at the protest, though the picketers remained peaceful.
"They have been complete gentlemen," Trooper Adam Steinhauser said. "They just have a message they want to get out."
The protesters dispersed at 10 a.m. with an agreement from the DEP to review the matter, Brnusak said. DEP personnel did not immediately respond to a request for an interview yesterday
Connellsville Daily Courier - Connellsville,PA,USA
by Michael Cope
September 15, 2007
A group of 30 coal miners picketed Friday outside a state Department of Environmental Protection branch office in South Union to highlight alleged unsafe conditions at Cumberland Mine.
Members of United Mine Workers of America Local 2300 claim Foundation Coal Holdings Inc. of Linthicum Heights, Md., has operated the Greene County mine since August without proper ventilation.
The workers protested for three hours in front of the Bureau of Mine Safety location at the Fayette County Health Center along New Salem Road.
"We want the state to enforce the safety laws in place since 1961," said Tony Brnusak, president of Local 2300. "We want to make people aware, and the state aware: Safety is first."
Cumberland Mine was established in 1977 about 12 miles south of Waynesburg. The complex employs 611 workers and shipped 7 million tons of coal in 2005.
Brnusak said the fans went down three weeks ago, and, according to safety regulations, the company is required to egress the mine within 15 minutes.
Only after the mine is evacuated should a walk-through examination happen, Brnusak said. But management argues certified personnel were permitted in the facility as the outage was remediated.
"Cumberland Coal Resources management complied with regulations as interpreted by the Pennsylvania Department of Deep Mine Safety," Foundation Coal Holdings spokesman Peter Vietti said. "Management allowed certified examiners to remain in the mine when the ventilation fan restarted after a brief outage."
State police dispatched three units with four troopers to maintain order at the protest, though the picketers remained peaceful.
"They have been complete gentlemen," Trooper Adam Steinhauser said. "They just have a message they want to get out."
The protesters dispersed at 10 a.m. with an agreement from the DEP to review the matter, Brnusak said. DEP personnel did not immediately respond to a request for an interview yesterday
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