US coal mine collapse traps six-Utah - Thread No. 2

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Hey, I tried to help!! LOL

Yes I seen that RKnowley....Thank you for watching out for me! :slap:

 

[Utopia]

I was listening to an interview done with Bob Murray today and the reporter asked him at the end of the interview if there was anything Bob wanted to say to the people of Utah & people around the nation and Bob said, "Yes, there is" and the reporter asked "What is that?" and Bob said, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry. He was almost going to break down.

Here is the complete interview for anyone who wants to listen:

http://www.kutv.com/video/[email protected]

This article from the Salt Lake Tribune discusses the accusation that Murray made changes to the mining plan after he gained ownership last year. In the interview above, Murray categorically denies this.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6685703

 

[SeriouslySearching]

We own a business, I went up against Mn Power a few ago. We had a massive accident MN Power never marked 3 under ground lines.We had several injuries. Workers were taken to the hospital, I got the call, get to the hospital ASAP. It was a 4 hr drive my hubby was injured, he took the brunt of the electrical shock I thank God he lived. It blew out parts of his brain. I seen the dance Mn Power did. I know how these places lie!!! It happened to us!

Normally I try not to get overly involved. :snooty: This hit close to my heart. This is about morals: what is right & what is wrong. Money & greed / over people just trying to make a living & survival. Its about truth & lies......its about rich man / poor man

I know ya didn't mean to make me cry.....:blowkiss:

Awwww...Double Hugs, Cheko! Now ya made me cry! (Is this going around or something?!)

 

[Utopia]

Awwww...Double Hugs, Cheko! Now ya made me cry! (Is this going around or something?!)

Lots of tears to go around in this tragic situation.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I don't feel Robert Murray has been totally forthcoming and honest about his mining practices from the beginning. (They say there is paperwork other than the "plan" submitted to MSHA that supports the fact he was retreat mining.) Was he doing maintenance the morning of the first collapse and he is skirting the issue? Perhaps. There are many unanswered questions which will be asked of Murray in the months to come.

 

[Buzz Mills]

I haven't heard where the 6th hole was supposed to go but I did read this and based on Murray saying there could be more holes drilled even after the 6th hole there probably isn't any REAL strategy on where to place the 6th hole:

<snip>
In an interview to air on Thursday's Morning Edition, Murray also told NPR's John Ydstie that a fifth borehole searching for signs of life in the mine was completed Wednesday morning. He said there'll be a sixth borehole and more, if necessary.

"I'm going to drill until we have no more places to drill," Murray said. "But it's very likely that the miners are trapped and we'll not get them out."
</snip>

More here at link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13866983

In the interview I saw this morning on CNN, where Muray mentioned drilling the next (6th) hole, he also mentioned, indirectly, and in my words, that Saturday may be the last day of recovery attempts. The sixth hole should be finished by Saturday, and the indication that Murray made, is that to go beyond Saturday, and, again, in my words, that they would need some concrete reason to continue.

To me, that meant that they needed to find miners alive. If they saw a body, or bodies, as a result, of inserting a camera down the 5th, or 6th, hole, I think that is another call that would have to be made. Drilling a large hole, in an attempt to recover bodies, is going to be a challenge heightened by immense danger, and the potential for additional loss of life.

If it were my decision, knowing how unstable the mountain is, I would not risk a life, at this juncture, to retrieve six dead bodies.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

When will we learn what happened in the 5th bore hole?! Is there a presser scheduled this evening?

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

In the interview with Bob done by KUTV Murray says they were going to keep drilling until they run out of places to drill or until they find the dead miners. According to Bob's interview he said there was a location that HE wanted the 6th hole drilled but that he hadn't gotten MSHA's approval on it.

The whole interview (9 minutes) can be listened to at:
http://kutv.com/video/[email protected]

In the interview I saw this morning on CNN, where Muray mentioned drilling the next (6th) hole, he also mentioned, indirectly, and in my words, that Saturday may be the last day of recovery attempts. The sixth hole should be finished by Saturday, and the indication that Murray made, is that to go beyond Saturday, and, again, in my words, that they would need some concrete reason to continue.

To me, that meant that they needed to find miners alive. If they saw a body, or bodies, as a result, of inserting a camera down the 5th, or 6th, hole, I think that is another call that would have to be made. Drilling a large hole, in an attempt to recover bodies, is going to be a challenge heightened by immense danger, and the potential for additional loss of life.

If it were my decision, knowing how unstable the mountain is, I would not risk a life, at this juncture, to retrieve six dead bodies.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

There is supposed to be a PC tonight but I haven't located any place online that says if there is a certain time the conference is supposed to be.

When will we learn what happened in the 5th bore hole?! Is there a presser scheduled this evening?

 

[Buzz Mills]

When will we learn what happened in the 5th bore hole?! Is there a presser scheduled this evening?

Either this evening, or tomorrow morning, I would think. Probably less coverage at this point.

 

[GonzoReiter]

this was the first of 2 rather strange "interviews" with Bob Murray today on CNN

 

[Buzz Mills]

One of the things we need to realize is that the union is throwing brickbats at the mine owner/company, every chance they get, and this incident has given them plenty of opportunities. As unions do, they have been attempting to unionize the miners, and they are doing everything they can to rile up the workers about conditions in the mine, and on any other issues the miners want to bring up.

I see where, now, there is a clamor now about Murray wanting to close-up the mine. Now, they are saying that he wants to close the mine, because he is afraid they will find something.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. This is a no-win situation for Murray.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Just said on the news they are expecting a press conference any minute.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Hole #6 (approximately drill down abt 1700 feet) will be in the area that the miners were last known to be in mining. No exact location has been stated yet. The pads are already in place for borehole # 6 and they may start drilling tomorrow. They still haven't pulled the drill bit out of hole #5. So, no oxygen levels taken yet from hole #5.

The 6th hole will be the last hole drilled.

Murray says he will NEVER come back to this evil mountain that is still alive.

 

[lilpony]

This has been discussed in the threads and in various articles. It seems they make anywhere from $15 to $25/hour - I commented that it didn't sound like very much to me considering the nature and danger of the work. It is also a non-union mine - not sure how this compares to union mines in the U.S. I'll have to see if I can find out what Canadian miners make - although I was surprised to find out that we currently only have two undergrounds mines in Canada. My husband says that it must be that the minerals are closer to the surface here. Not sure. In addition we aren't as reliant on coal energy in Canada as the U.S. is as we also use nuclear power, hydro electric, natural gas and oil. (My conversation with my husband who works in health and safety at a nuclear plant was much more detailed than this but frankly, much of it went over my head.)

There was a major accident in a mine here in 1992 in which 26 miners were killed as a result of an explosion. When my husband was studying health and safety, he studied this case quite closely. It was found to be completely due to human error. If anyone is interested, here is the link to the report of the inquiry followed.

http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/pubs/westray/

Utopia, you say they are only making $15 to $25 an hour. Whaaaaatttt, I am shocked now. Because I do not consider this a lot of $$$. I can't believe thats all they make. Miners risk their lives for that pay, is unbelievable to me. I know it is a lot of money to most. But I was under the impression that they made lotssssss more $$$. Thanks for you reply, Utopia. Now I will ponder this. Hmmmmm

Dingo, thanks for your reply. Then seem to make quite a bit of money their in Australia. More than a doctor, good for them, thats wonderful!

 

[Buzz Mills]

Hole #6 (approximately drill down abt 1700 feet) will be in the area that the miners were last known to be in mining. No exact location has been stated yet. The pads are already in place for borehole # 6 and they may start drilling tomorrow. They still haven't pulled the drill bit out of hole #5. So, no oxygen levels taken yet from hole #5.

The 6th hole will be the last hole drilled.

Murray says he will NEVER come back to this evil mountain that is still alive.

RK, that's what I have been saying all day. Glad we finally have that cleared up.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Utopia, you say they are only making $15 to $25 an hour. Whaaaaatttt, I am shocked now. Because I do not consider this a lot of $$$. I can't believe thats all they make. Miners risk their lives for that pay, is unbelievable to me. I know it is a lot of money to most. But I was under the impression that they made lotssssss more $$$. Thanks for you reply, Utopia. Now I will ponder this. Hmmmmm

Dingo, thanks for your reply. Then seem to make quite a bit of money their in Australia. More than a doctor, good for them, thats wonderful!

lp, I thought we had had this conversation before, but it must have been someone else.

Wages are relative to the area that we live in. I live on the west coast, like you do, where the rumors say that we make big bucks; as you well know, the rumors are all true; jobs are plentiful, and we make the big bucks. In the mountains of Utah, and the hills of West Virginia, such is not the case. There aren't many jobs available, and the jobs pay peanuts. Those guys make at least half-again more than other jobs in the area. So, working in mines is considered a good job, and earning up to $25 an hour, is very high pay for that area, where there aren't many jobs, and those jobs all pay from $5 to $15 an hour, depending on the skill.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Buzz, you were saying it but Murray wasn't. LOL

RK, that's what I have been saying all day. Glad we finally have that cleared up.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

(KUTV) HUNTINGTON - Mine officials said late Wednesday that the location where the fifth bore hole entered the Crandall Canyon coal mine was mostly littered with rubble -- and that only six-inches of open space remained from the top of the debris and the mine ceiling.

Jack Kuzar, a district manager for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, said that drillers detected a six-inch "void" in the mine cavern where the drill broke through. It is not possible, he said, for anyone to survive in just six inches of space. However, he acknowledged that there may be more space in the area surrounding the drill hole -- a possibility that will be determined once a camera is lowered into the mountain. Video from the camera was expected to be taken sometime Wednesday night.

Kuzar said that a microphone and vibration sensing equipment were lowered into the fifth bore hole. After breaking through the mine ceiling, drillers tried to signal to any potential survivors by banging on the drill steel. However, as was the case with the four previous bore holes, there was no response from below.

Robert Murray, co-owner of the mine, repeated his anguish for the situation during Wednesday evening's press conference. He appeared both annoyed and frustrated with questions from the media, over issues that he said he had already addressed -- or simply couldn't answer.

There was some confusion on Wednesday, over whether Murray intended to close the Crandall Canyon mine or keep producing coal. Murray previously made it clear that he intended to close the mine, but some media outlets continued to question the issue.

More at link: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_218103238.html

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

If they will drill more holes after hole #6. I'm in standby mode on this one still.

This is from a recently updated article:

<snip>

Murray said a sixth exploratory hole would be drilled beginning Thursday. When asked how long, and how many holes will continue to be drilled, officials could not give a definitive timetable.

"Until we are assured that there are no signs of life," Kuzar said.

</snip>

Source: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_218103238.html