The US government’s highest penalty for coal mine safety violations was imposed on mine operator, Genwal Resources, for a collapse that killed six miners in Utah last August. Three rescuers were killed ten days later in a second collapse.
Federal investigators found that activity in areas that should not have been mined, as well as weakened pillars caused the Crandall Canyon collapse, and not an earthquake as the mine’s owner, Bob Murray, has contended. “It was not – and I repeat, it was not – a natural occurring earthquake,” said Richard E. Stickler, the government’s top mine safety official. By taking coal from the barrier pillars and the floor of the mine, the roof of the mine was significantly weakened. The result was a “catastrophic failure” of several of the supports.
One of the techniques going on at Crandall Canyon, called retreat mining, has been brought to light, as well as criticized in light of the collapse. In retreat mining, pillars of coal that support the roof of the chambers are removed one by one by the miners, which allows the chambers to collapse behind them. Mine owner Murray claimed at first that his company did not practice retreat mining, but admitted later that it did. However, he alleges this was not being done at Crandall Canyon at the time of the collapse.
Genwal Resources was fined $1.34 million for violations leading to the miners’ deaths, and another $300,000 for additional violations. Mining consultant, Agapito Associates, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was also fined $220,000 “for faulty analysis of the mine’s design.”
The six miners’ bodies have never been recovered.
