labor lawAdivision of labor law center

As we pay tribute to workers across the nation this week, it seems especially fitting to honor the lost miners in Emery County, Utah.

The search for 6 miners missing in the Crandall Canyon cave-in has been called to a halt. Allyn Davis, Regional Director for Mine Safety and Health Administration, told the families on August 31 that a robotic camera revealed no evidence that the miners were alive before it became permanently stuck in the borehole.

Colin King, an attorney representing the families of all 6 miners, said that there were tears when the families were told that the rescuers had done all that they could.

On August 6, a seismic event at the Utah mine caused the collapse of the shaft, burying Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez some 4 miles from the mine opening. No one knows if the men survived the initial thunderous collapse. Rescuers were initially hopeful, pointing out that there was adequate food and potable water in the mine, which would allow the miners to survive for days or weeks.

On August 16, an additional cave-in buried rescuers trying to dig their way back into the mine, killing 3 and injuring 6. Mine inspectors determined that the entire mountain was unstable, and that rescue efforts would have to focus on boreholes.

Last Friday afternoon, the families of the six missing men, along with the families of the rescue workers who died trying to save them, fathered on a mountain top. They released a rehabilitated bald eagle as a symbol of hope and healing. The eagle, which was rescued by the Southwest Wildlife Foundation, was released into the wild by Wendy Black, wife of rescuer Dale “Bird” Black.

The mine, which is co-owned by Murray Energy Corp, laid off 170 workers on Monday. About 35 of those workers accepted transfers to the company’s operations in Illinois or Ohio. Murray Energy operates 19 mines in five states.

Many observers are puzzled that these tragedies occurred despite recent improvements to mine safety. In 2006, there were three tragic mining accidents in West Virginia and Kentucky. 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. 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.

MSHA has concluded that the mountain is “slowly collapsing in on itself.” Labor Day marked four weeks since the miners were buried. Bob Murray, of Murray Energy, has announced plans to shut the mine permanently and create a memorial to the lost miners.

 

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1. Posted by: Utah Governor Appoints Team to Investigate Mine Disaster - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] Promoting mine safety has become even more important for Utah worker safety in the wake of a number of recent mining accidents, including, of course, the most recent tragedy at Crandall Canyon.  The governor has asked the Commission to recommend changes to the state and local safety laws that would help prevent future mine disasters. [...]

2. Posted by: New Worker Safety Regulations follow Crandall Canyon - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] It will probably come as a surprise to no one that the MSHA released new regulations for safety in coal mines following the disastrous rescue attempt at the Crandall Canyon mine in Emory County, Utah. [...]

3. Posted by: Agency Gives Worker Safety Awards to Mines - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] In recent months, a number of very high-profile accidents have eclipsed the fact that the overwhelming majority of mines are safe places to work. The MSHA has faced a number of challenges, including the most recent, the tragic Crandall Canyon mine disaster in August 2007. [...]

4. Posted by: MSHA Publishes Final Rescue Team Rules - Labor Law Center Blog

   [...] to the mine rescue strategy are a direct result of last year’s tragic failed rescue mission at Crandall Canyon mine in Emory, Utah. That effort was led by Richard Stickler, MSHA Acting Assistant Secretary for [...]