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The tragic events unfolding at Crandall Canyon Mine have sparked a number of questions about mine safety in the U.S.  As yet, none of those questions have answers.

Sunday’s statement by MSHA Assistant Secretary Richard E. Stickler did little to dispel those doubts. Stickler said, “Unfortunately, borehole number six did not provide us with conclusive evidence of the fate of the six trapped miners. However, we have identified another location to drill that may provide us additional details as to what may have happened to the miners. We are pleased that Mr. Murray has agreed to drill this additional borehole.” 

Being buried alive is everyone’s worst nightmare. Yet, it is a constant risk faced by miners. 

Mining is such a hazardous occupation that the federal government has created a special agency to handle miner’s safety. While most businesses in the nation are covered by OSHA or a similar state agency, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA, is the federal agency charged with protecting the safety of miners.

In recent years, MSHA has faced a number of challenges, including three major mining accidents in 2006. Those include  a January 2006 explosion in the Sago Mine in Sago, West Virginia that trapped 13 miners for nearly two days. Only one of them survived.

That same month, a fire at the Aracoma Alma Mine in Melville, West Virginia poured smoke into the miner’s escape route, killing two people. In May 2006, a methane explosion at the Darby Mine No. 1 in Kentucky killed five workers.

In response, MSHA hired additional mine safety inspectors, tightened regulations and made other changes. Still, critics argue that those changes clearly were not enough.

The U.S. is not alone in experiencing mine tragedies. On August 17, a mine in Eastern China was flooded when a nearby dike on the Wen River burst. A total of 181 miners were trapped and presumed dead.  

Still, the events at Crandall Canyon are especially tragic, in part because there were initially hopes that the 6 missing miners would be discovered alive. Initial reports indicated that the men might be trapped in an area with sufficient air to survive. There were emergency stores of food in the mine, and potable water.

On the morning of Monday August 6, at about 3:30 am local time, MSHA was reported of a mine accident at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Emery County, Utah. The mine is owner and operated by Genwal Resources, Inc. The event was initially described as a “seismic or ground failure event”. Six miners were missing – presumed buried in the depths of the collapsed mine, about 4 miles from the entrance.

Four mine rescue teams, including two mine inspectors, were rushed to the site, within 1,700 feet of the trapped miners. The MSHA response team included 3 family liaisons.

Rescue teams alternated 12-hour shifts around the clock to locate the missing miners, despite continuing ground shifting. By Tuesday, Assistant Secretary of Labor Richard E. Stickler was onsite to support the rescue efforts. He accompanied family members into the mine for several hours on Wednesday. In all, there were up to 64 workers in the mine at any one time.

On the evening of Thursday August 9, a small vertical drill punched through to the mine shaft. A microphone was inserted into the cavity, but no human noise was detected.  

Still, rescuers continued to work.

Tragically, on Thursday August 16, a significant bounce occurred. Three rescue workers, including one MSHA inspector, were killed. Six additional workers required hospitalization. Rescue work was suspended for the day, and resumed the following day.

In all, 6 holes have been dug, with a 7th planned. None have revealed any sign of human life in the mine. A camera dropped into borehole #5 failed to produce discernable images.

MSHA has concluded that the mountain is “slowly collapsing on itself.” The 7^th borehole is likely to be the last, as more than 3 weeks have passed.

Day by day, hope dwindled for the tiny group of friends and family clustered near the mine. The drama was heightened when one miner claimed that workers who complained of unsafe conditions in the mine were fired. Mine owner Bill Murray hotly denied those charges, saying that the man must have worked in a different mine than the one that Murray ran.

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1. Posted by: Crandall Canyon Tragedy Raises Questions - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] The question that many are asking in the wake of the Crandall Canyon disaster is, “What went wrong?” [...]

2. Posted by: Special Team to Investigate Mining Accident - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] The Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA has launched a complete investigation into the causes of the Crandall Canyon mining tragedy that resulted in the loss of 9 lives, with 6 rescuers seriously injured. [...]

3. Posted by: Secretary Chao Appoints Second Team to Investigate Crandall Canyon Disaster - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] In a rare show of less than complete loyalty within the U.S. Department of Labor, Secretary Elaine Chao has announced an independent review of the MSHA’s actions in the ill-fated rescue attempt at the Crandall Canyon Mine. [...]