Crandall Canyon, Utah Mining Disaster- 8/6/07, 9 Dead & 6 Injured

[JustMeT]

Thanks Muffy.

[MuffyBee]

 Mine VP: Rescuers 'will not give up hope' despite setbacks
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/19/utah.mine/

[2NJSons_Mom]

Fox has been showing clips of the VP of the mining company...there were discussions with the families of the 6 miners this AM, and they were told that the men may never be found.  Even though most of us thought the rescue may possibly fail, we still all had hope we were wrong. 

[MuffyBee]

Fox has been showing clips of the VP of the mining company...there were discussions with the families of the 6 miners this AM, and they were told that the men may never be found.  Even though most of us thought the rescue may possibly fail, we still all had hope we were wrong. 

This is really sad news.  The families were told the men may never be found?  How heartbreaking.  And yes, I had hope they would be found.  It sounded bad when it happened and got worse from there.  I'm so sorry.

[2NJSons_Mom]

Fox has been showing clips of the VP of the mining company...there were discussions with the families of the 6 miners this AM, and they were told that the men may never be found.  Even though most of us thought the rescue may possibly fail, we still all had hope we were wrong. 

This is really sad news.  The families were told the men may never be found?  How heartbreaking.  And yes, I had hope they would be found.  It sounded bad when it happened and got worse from there.  I'm so sorry.

Very sad...just found it in print:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070819/ap_on_re_us/utah_mine_collapse

Work at Utah mine grim By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 19 minutes ago
 


HUNTINGTON, Utah - Officials extinguished nearly all hope of finding any of the six miners alive on Sunday, nearly two weeks after the men were trapped in a violent collapse deep with a mine.

 The latest results from a fourth hole drilled more than 1,500 feet into the mountainside found the air quality could not sustain life, said a top executive of the company that co-owns the Crandall Canyon Mine.

"It's likely these miners may not be found," said Rob Moore, vice president of Murray Energy Corp.

It was a marked shift in tone after days of public, unflinching optimism that the men would be rescued.

There has been little evidence that the miners had survived the initial Aug. 6 collapse.

Workers have gained limited access to the mine through four boreholes in which video cameras and microphones were placed. Rescuers banged on a drill bit and set off explosives Saturday, hoping to elicit a response from the men, yet their efforts still were met with silence.

Engineering experts from around the nation gathered at the mine Sunday to try to figure out a safe way of reaching the missing men.

Underground tunneling has been halted since a mountain "bump" Thursday killed three rescuers and injured six others.

MSHA summoned experts from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, West Virginia University and private engineering firms in the hope that they can develop a safer way of tunneling toward the trapped miners. Their first meeting at the mine started Sunday morning.

The experts were studying mine maps and planned to go underground, into a part of the mine deemed safe, to examine the coal pillars holding up the roof. The hope is that they can come up with a way to safely go back underground.

[2NJSons_Mom]

I'm sorry....haven't figured out why some of us can't get the quote thing done right on this new forum.   

[MuffyBee]

I'm sorry....haven't figured out why some of us can't get the quote thing done right on this new forum.   

Thank you for bringing the article 2NJSons.  Don't worry bout the quote thing.  We know what you meant.

[MuffyBee]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6957151.stm

Trapped US miners 'probably dead'
Bob Murray, co-owner of the mine
Bob Murray said he had warned the miners' families to expect the worst
The families of six miners missing since a tunnel collapsed two weeks ago have been warned the men are probably dead and may never be found.

Bob Murray, co-owner of the Utah mine, said he had told relatives he was "not optimistic they will be found alive".

Some families have accused officials of giving up too soon on the rescue.

Below-ground efforts were halted last week after three rescuers died in a cave-in. The US mine safety body has said the mine is structurally unstable.

No contact has been made with the trapped miners since a tunnel collapsed 1,500ft (457m) underground on 6 August.

Listening devices and cameras lowered into the mine have failed to find signs of life.

Rescue capsule

Above-ground rescue efforts are continuing, with workers expected to finish drilling a fifth hole, reaching 2,039ft into the mine, on Tuesday evening.

   
I picture my dad wondering 'Where the hell are they?
Cody Allred
Son of missing miner

Tests from a fourth hole drilled more than 1,500ft (457m) into the mountainside found the air quality could not sustain life.

Relatives of the trapped miners have called on officials to start drilling a large enough hole to send down a rescue capsule to bring out the men.

Cody Allred, whose father Kerry is among the six missing men, told the Associated Press news agency: "I picture my dad wondering 'Where the hell are they? Any time now'," he said.

Mine safety experts have warned that it would be pointless to send down a capsule without knowing the exact location of the trapped miners and that sending workers down in it to search would put more lives at risk because the mountain is still shifting.

A sign put up in Huntington in memory of the killed rescue workers
Below-ground efforts were halted after three rescuers were killed
It could, in any case, take weeks to drill the 30-inch (76cm) hole.

Mr Murray, chief executive of Murray Energy Corporation, which jointly owns the mine, said on Monday night he had been "very forthright" in spelling out the situation to the families.

"Their reception with me was not good, but at some point the reality must sink in."

His announcement reflects a shift in tone by mine officials, who initially said they were confident the miners would be found alive.

Speaking on Sunday, Sonny Olsen, a spokesman for the families, told AFP news agency: "We are at the mercies of the officials in charge and their so-called experts. Precious time is being squandered and we do not have time to waste."

'Unacceptable risk'

Richard Stickler, head of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said the unstable nature of the mine, where seismic activity continues, made it too dangerous to work below ground.

"This means the suspension we have on the underground operation will remain indefinitely," he told reporters on Monday.

"The risk is unacceptable to send mine-rescue teams underground for the purpose of exploration."

Rescue teams had tunnelled about 250m towards the trapped miners, with about 350m to go, when the second accident happened last Thursday.

It was caused by a "mountain bump" - a build-up of pressure inside a mine from overhead rock that forces surrounding rock and coal to shoot out of the walls with great force.

[MuffyBee]

Well I'm confused. Which is it?  Will the mine be closed?  Or will the mine be opened?  Or will part of the mine be closed and part of it left open?  Here are two articles dated 8/22:

Bid to Reopen Mine Divides Grieving Utah Town
http://tinyurl.com/2p9y98

Murray Says Crandall Canyon Mine to Be Closed
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13866983

[klaasend]

Here is the most recent press conference.  

'I Believe They Are Dead'

(KUTV) HUNTINGTON - An owner of the Crandall Canyon coal mine on Wednesday said that there will be no more underground digging inside the mountain -- because there is no point in risking rescuers' lives when there hasn't been one single indication that any of the six missing miners are alive.

Responding to harsh criticisms, leveled by the missing miners' families, mine co-owner Robert Murray said that it makes no sense to resume a rescue operation -- and that he believes all six miners are now dead.

(snipped)
http://kutv.com/

[2NJSons_Mom]

6th Mine Borehole Last Hope

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070823/ap_on_re_us/utah_mine_collapse

[LouiseVargas]

I have a friend in San Francisco who is a moderator on Firedoglake which is a political web blog.

She says Bush cut funding to mine companies because the cost of ensuring miners' safety was too high. For the first time since the 1920s, mine deaths are up.  They had fallen every year but since Bush cut safety requirements, deaths are up.

I find this ironic because the mine owner, Robert Murray, is a big time Bush donator. He is considered a 'Ranger' which would place him in donations in excess of $200K.  Firedoglake has posts about mine safety - including information about Murray and his donations to Bush.

This is a classic example of how the GOP is destructive. This is a travesty of a mockery of government. For all Murray's huge contributions to Bush, he got screwed in a big way. I feel his life as a mine owner is over. He will be hit by huge lawsuits and Bush is not going to bail him out. What a President, huh? 

(taking deep breath)  grrrrr

[MuffyBee]

Mine boss, Utah governor spar over collapse

*snipped*
 Meanwhile Saturday, officials said a sixth borehole was being drilled into the mountain mine in an effort to continue trying to detect the men. The hole was to be completed late Saturday at the earliest.


http://tinyurl.com/3x8n5f

[MuffyBee]

Sad, sad news:
Lawyer:  Hole Finds No Sign of Miners
8/25/07
HUNTINGTON, Utah -

The latest holed drilled into a collapsed mine where six men are trapped broke through an area too small for the men to survive, a lawyer for several of the men's families said Saturday.

"The only thing they told us is there is no void where the sixth hole is; there is no space," attorney Colin King said after a meeting between the families and mine officials.
*snipped*
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/25/ap4054112.html

[Dugga]

Before this story falls out of the news altogether, I can't help but wonder if the families of these men will ever see a proper burial for their loved ones.

It's too dangerous to go in and get the bodies, and they can't go in from above again (or it seems they won't). I heard that the families are now suggesting that they drill wider holes that rescue capsules could fit into. They are suggesting that they drill straight down to get to where they believe the men were.

I certainly hope that the families get their wishes - if it's a feasible plan.

[Dugga]

I have a friend in San Francisco who is a moderator on Firedoglake which is a political web blog.

She says Bush cut funding to mine companies because the cost of ensuring miners' safety was too high. For the first time since the 1920s, mine deaths are up.  They had fallen every year but since Bush cut safety requirements, deaths are up.

I find this ironic because the mine owner, Robert Murray, is a big time Bush donator. He is considered a 'Ranger' which would place him in donations in excess of $200K.  Firedoglake has posts about mine safety - including information about Murray and his donations to Bush.

This is a classic example of how the GOP is destructive. This is a travesty of a mockery of government. For all Murray's huge contributions to Bush, he got screwed in a big way. I feel his life as a mine owner is over. He will be hit by huge lawsuits and Bush is not going to bail him out. What a President, huh? 

(taking deep breath)  grrrrr

While I think the mining accident is terrible, I couldn't disagree with you more, Louise.

Personally, I see the war or terror being a far more worthy cause than government subsidies to mining companies for safety compliance. Terrorism is a far greater threat. And although you didn't directly allude to one affecting the other, I can't help but think that the Bush administration feels that they need to "pick their battles".

You never hear anyone say "Wow, I sure am glad we spent the extra money on homeland security! We haven't had any terror attacks since 9/11."

But if we hadn't spent the money on homeland security, you can bet your ass that there WOULD have been attacks by now, and the president would be getting the blame for it.

I'm willing to admit that I might be naive. But I just don't think you can lay the Utah mining disaster on the shoulders of the Bush administration.

[yapperz1]

http://tinyurl.com/3ao6bx

Search to Go on for Trapped Utah Miners
Published: 8/26/07, 5:06 PM EDT
By CHELSEA J. CARTER
HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) - Despite three weeks of drilling and digging that have revealed no signs of life from six men trapped inside a collapsed coal mine, an attorney for families of the miners said Sunday the search will continue.

Lawyer Colin King said federal and company officials told him and the miners' relatives that a robotic camera would be lowered into a hole drilled during previous efforts to find the men.

The camera is similar to one used to search within the wreckage of the World Trade Center in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It can take images in the darkened cavern from about 50 yards away with the help of a strong light, and has a much wider range than previous cameras used in the search efforts in part because of its ability to crawl through rubble, he said.

"We're very excited about it. The families are thrilled to hear this," King said.

The announcement came a day after crews penetrated the mine with a sixth borehole, finding a debris-filled area too small for the men to survive, according to King and the Web site of the federal mine safety agency.

Federal and company officials said a Sunday afternoon news conference was planned on those results.

King said a mine company lawyer told families that a seventh borehole was being considered. That one might be drilled into the kitchen area of the mine, an area where miners are trained to flee in case of collapse.

Cesar Sanchez, brother of trapped miner Manuel Sanchez, said the prospect of a seventh hole encouraged the families, who had been outraged when told that the search might end after the sixth hole had been drilled.

"It brings the hope back up. We needed that and we're going to keep going until we find these guys," he said.

King said the robotic camera would lowered into the fourth borehole, which was drilled more than 1,500 feet into the mountain. That was done after mysterious vibrations were detected by aboveground monitors for about 5 minutes on Aug. 15, but when that drill broke through three days later, there was silence. Crews spent at least four hours banging on the drill steel and setting off explosives in an effort to get a response, but without results.

Air monitors sent into that area of the mine showed insufficient oxygen to support life.

The Crandall Canyon miners were last heard from about 3 a.m. Aug. 6, just before a thunderous shudder inside the mountain cracked the ribs of the mine and filled passageways with debris, cutting off an exit route. It's never been clear if they survived the cave-in.

Earlier bore holes produced hazy images and air samples so depleted of oxygen as to be unable to support life. Repeated efforts to signal the miners have met with silence.

Horizontal digging through the rubble-filed mine shaft was halted after a second collapse killed three rescuers and injured six others Aug. 16.

Federal Mine Health and Safety Administration officials say the instability of the mountain makes it too risky to resume underground digging or to drill a hole widen enough to send a manned rescue capsule into the mine.

Seismologists describe the mountain as crumbling in upon itself, bursting support pillars as it shifts in a phenomena known as mountain bumps.

Despite promises made to the men's families to find the six miners dead or alive, mine co-owner Bob Murray had said the sixth borehole, drilled more than 1,700 feet deep, would be the last before sealing the mine.

"If we don't find anybody alive, there is nowhere else that anyone in MSHA or our company would know anywhere to drill," Murray said last week.

MSHA officials have not specifically said they'll close the mine, but have grown increasingly pessimistic about the chances of finding the men alive or even recovering their bodies.

[MuffyBee]

Robotic Camera to be sent into Utah mine
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/26/utah.mine/index.html
 (CNN) -- Rescuers plan Monday to lower a robotic camera through a bore hole in a collapsed Utah mine to find miners who have been trapped for nearly three weeks.

Jack Kuzar of the Mine Safety and Health Administration said a seventh hole will be drilled into Crandall Canyon mine, just outside Huntington, Utah.

A sixth hole drilled into the mine was the latest to have yielded no useful information about the trapped miners' fate, said Kuzar, adding the robotic camera will be lowered through either the third or fourth hole already dug.

Robin Murphy, a mechanical engineer and director of the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said the special camera is similar to one used to search in the debris of the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But she cautioned there is less than a 50 percent chance of finding any "additional information," citing the rocky and muddy conditions in the mine.
*snipped*

[MuffyBee]

Utah mine closes, seventh hole drilled and robot lowered
http://tinyurl.com/yvdgl4

[MuffyBee]

Latest camera trip into Utah mine finds little


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-30-utah-mine_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip