US coal mine collapse traps six-Utah - Thread No. 3

[Buzz Mills]

Crews With Robotic Camera Await 7th Hole at Mine
August 29th, 2007 @ 12:45pm

(KSL News) Crews at the Crandall Canyon mine will now have to wait until a seventh drill hole is finished before they can send a robotic camera into the mine to look for six trapped miners.

Yesterday the robot made it within 10 feet of the mine shaft then got stuck when the settling mountain caused the borehole to shift.

Jack Kuzar of the Mine Safety and Health Administration said, "We've managed to salvage the robot. It's in good condition and it's ready to be lowered when the number-seven hole intersects the mine."

That seventh hole is expected to be complete either late today or sometime tomorrow.

More at link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1715794

RKnowley, have they mentioned the exact depth of this 7th hole, and precisely where they are drilling it??

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Buzzm1, I haven't seen any mention of where exactly hole 7 is going or the exact depth. If I do find that information I will post it here.

RKnowley, have they mentioned the exact depth of this 7th hole, and precisely where they are drilling it??

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

PRICE - Miner Elam Jones stood before hundreds of his friends and neighbors Tuesday night to tell them how he watched the six Crandall Canyon miners walk into the mine the night they became trapped. The 23-year-old Huntington man also was among the dozens of rescuers who tried for days to get the miners out.

"Everybody who was up there put in 100 percent," he said, looking at some of the trapped miners' family members attending the Voices of 1,000 Angels benefit. "We did everything physical we could. But the mountain won't let us do nothing else."

In truth, the people gathered at Price's Peace Park showed that efforts to help the families of trapped, injured and killed Crandall Canyon miners are continuing. Uncounted hours and immeasurable love have been given freely.

Donations have topped $180,000. And still more is coming in.

"Voices" was not intended to raise more money, said Becky Archibald, one of the organizers who brought the choir to Price. But donations will be made to an Eastern Utah Community Credit Union fund for children of the 15 affected families once concert expenses are paid.

There are at least five funds like these, each controlled by the person who established the accounts.

More at link: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6746830

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Feds say families of trapped miners can't request union help -- only the miners can

By Mike Gorrell
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 08/29/2007 03:44:08 PM MDT

PRICE - The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has determined the United Mine Workers of America union cannot represent the families of six trapped coal miners in the agency's upcoming investigation of the Crandall Canyon mine disaster.

The union filed papers with MSHA last Friday, saying that all six families had signed documents designating the UMWA as their representatives when the agency launches its probe into the Aug. 6 collapse that trapped the miners deep underground.

The six are still missing and presumed dead. Three more men died Aug. 16 when the mine's walls blew in again as rescuers tried to dig their way back to the trapped miners through the rubble of the first implosion.

Crandall Canyon was a non-union mine. But the UMWA maintains federal law allows union involvement in safety investigations if requested by two or more miners or their families.

In this case, union spokesman Phil Smith said, "MSHA requires that miners sign these papers, but the miners in question were unable because they are trapped inside the mine."

A statement from MSHA spokesman Dirk Fillpot said "we are disappointed that the UMWA is trying to use a law enforcement investigation for its own purposes. MSHA has spent untold hours briefing the families of the missing miners on every detail of the rescue activities and MSHA will keep them apprised of the progress of our investigation.

More at link: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6751317

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Interesting Press Release dated Sunday, August 26, 2007:

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2007/0827/20070827_112145_Murray_release.pdf

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Buzzm1,

I can tell you the #7 borehole is targeted at the area where miners store their lunch buckets and would have been a likely place for them to go - if they had time. It was within an area targeted by the first borehole, but that small shaft drifted as it was drilled through the mountain.

Source of information above: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6728410?source=rss

Here is a map that shows where each of the 6 boreholes were drilled. I hope this helps.

http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1633893

ETA: This .pdf shows where the #7 borehole is being drilled. It doesn't list exact depth though.
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2007/0829/20070829_023405_Seventh%20borehole.pdf

I'm still searching for exact details.

 

[Buzz Mills]

Buzzm1,

I can tell you the #7 borehole is targeted at the area where miners store their lunch buckets and would have been a likely place for them to go - if they had time. It was within an area targeted by the first borehole, but that small shaft drifted as it was drilled through the mountain.

Source of information above: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_6728410?source=rss

Here is a map that shows where each of the 6 boreholes were drilled. I hope this helps.

http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=1633893

ETA: This .pdf shows where the #7 borehole is being drilled. It doesn't list exact depth though.
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2007/0829/20070829_023405_Seventh%20borehole.pdf

I'm still searching for exact details.

Thanks RKnowley, I was guessing it would be drilled somewhere in between CC137, and CC139. The depth would be somewhere in between 1703', and 1865', probably just under 1800'.

1414'--------------1586'------------1703'--------1865'------------2039'------------
3rd----------------4th---------------6th---7/1----2nd--------------5th---------------rescue
Hole---------------Hole-------------Hole--Hole---Hole-------------Hole--------------workers
CC147-<-520'->-CC143-<-520'->-CC139<260'>CC137-<-520'->-CC133-<-780'->-CC127
there's 130 feet between crosscuts

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Crandall Canyon mine collapse timeline
Note:

Please see Buzzm1's post for up to date information on where boreholes were drilled here: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1651086&postcount=147

* Aug. 6, 2:48 a.m.: Crandall Canyon mine collapse registers 3.9 magnitude. Six miners trapped, four escape.

* Aug. 6, afternoon: Rescue crews enter a tunnel parallel to the one the miners are thought to be in, only to find it has collapsed.

* Aug. 8, 10 p.m.: A 2 1/2 -inch drill penetrates the mine from above, but a microphone lowered into the cavity picks up no sound.
* Aug. 10, 12:10 a.m.: First air sample from 2-inch borehole has 20% oxygen; readings at 1:45 a.m. have it down to 7.2%, a level too low to sustain life.

* Aug. 11, 8:15 a.m.: Camera is dropped down a 8 -inch borehole. Images reveal a "survivable space," but no other signs of life.

* Aug. 12, 2 p.m.: New video images show mining equipment, but no signs of the miners. Rescue teams prepare to drill a third borehole, targeting tunnels deeper in the mine where the miners might have fled.

* Aug. 14, 6:30 p.m.: Miners have recaptured about 750 feet of the collapsed fresh-air tunnel, leaving 1,720 feet to go. They have endured a number of mountain "bumps" that threaten cave-ins and force rescue teams from the mine.

* Aug. 15, 10:15 a.m.: The third borehole intersects mine; microphone detects no sound.

* Aug. 16, 6:39 p.m.: Some 30 feet of the main tunnel collapses. Three rescue workers are killed, six others hospitalized. All rescue efforts are suspended.

* Aug. 18, 9 a.m.: Fourth drill hole penetrates mine. No signs of life.

* Aug. 22, 8:30 a.m.: Fifth drill hole reveals a 6-inch space in a tunnel filled with rubble.

* Aug. 25, 6 p.m.: Sixth borehole, which officials say will be the last, hits the mine. No air space is detected in a tunnel filled with rubble. Mine co-owner Robert Murray announces he is shutting down the Tower Mine outside of Price, citing safety concerns.

* Aug. 29, Coal hauling operations resume.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Thank you Buzzm1! With the "graphic" (not sure what to call it?? LOL) you have typed up it is much easier to understand what is going on.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Official to lawmakers: Miners may never be recovered if latest Crandall Canyon borehole fails

Coal hauling operations resume Wednesday

[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]By Jasen Lee and Josh Loftin[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial]Deseret Morning News[/FONT]

Published: Aug. 29, 2007 2:01 p.m. MDT

A top federal mine official conceded Wednesday to Utah lawmakers that if the next bore holes fail in the attempt to reach six trapped coal miners, "there's a possibility that we may not be able to remove the miners from the mine."

If that happens, Murray Energy has said it will seal the mine, Kevin Stricklin said at meeting on Utah's Capitol Hill among Utah legislators and newly-appointed members of the governor's mine safety panel.

Stricklin, chief of coal mine safety for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, reviewed in great detail the pertinent events that have transpired since that fateful Monday morning on Aug. 6.

Following his 45-minute account, he pledged to continue all efforts with the mindset that this is still a rescue mission and reiterated there is still hope the six trapped miners could still be found alive.

However, he tempered his remarks by stating that those efforts will only last as long as there are viable rescue options available.

Stricklin also said his agency has been in contact with the families and told them the agency will not risk any more lives to explore the mine unless there is verifiable proof that someone could be saved.

More at link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695205522,00.html

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Aug 29, 2007 7:20 pm US/Mountain
There May Be No Blame For Coal Mine Collapse

By Doug Ware - KUTV.com

(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY - Because the Crandall Canyon coal mine stretches so deep into the Manti La Sal mountains, near Huntington, investigators say that no one may be to blame for the cavern collapse on Aug. 6, killing six coal miners -- and three rescue workers in a subsequent collapse days later.

Kevin Stricklin, an investigator with the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration told Utah lawmakers on Wednesday that the state&#8217;s mines are unlike many others because they are so deep. He also said that the accident at Crandall Canyon is the most powerful he has ever seen, and there was no way to prepare for it.

&#8220;This is so massive of a failure that basically there was no way we could have planned for anything of this magnitude&#8221; he said.

Stricklin, a 20-year employee of MSHA, said the mine&#8217;s collapse was so strong because of the cavern&#8217;s depth &#8211; something that separates Utah&#8217;s coal mines from others in the world.

More at link:
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_241212026.html

 

[philamena]

In one way I think it's too late for blame. I hope and pray that mine owners and their operators all over the US learn from the Utah collapse. I hope that stricter guidelines are made and enforced.

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Sculptor's Art Celebrates Miners
August 29th, 2007 @ 9:56pm


John Hollenhorst Reporting

The disaster at the Crandall Canyon Mine has inspired a sculptor to create a new statue to remind people of the tragedy. The way he chose to portray it may surprise you.

Shortly after the Crandall Canyon mine disaster, Gary Prazen set aside the project he was working on, grabbed some clay and started a new one.

Prazen says, "Everybody kind of reacts in a different way. As an artist, this is the way maybe I express myself. You know, I just had a feeling for this, so I just started working on it."

For more than two decades, he's specialized in sculpture about mining and tragedy. His monument to the Wilberg mine disaster stands in front of the Emery County Courthouse. Assistants are finishing the tenth copy of that statue; eight have sold all over the country.

Prazen built his own foundry and makes his own bronze. His assistants pour molten metal into molds produced from his clay models.

His statues are bought by the National Safety Council, the mining industry, by people all over the world who care about miners and their safety.
"Why practice safety? Why be safe? It's not just for yourself. It's for all your loved ones too," Prazen said.

More at link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1720881

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Crews Drill 7th Hole in Mine for Robotic Camera
August 30th, 2007 @ 12:40pm

Update:

Crews finished drilling a seventh hole into the mountain where six miners have been trapped for 25 days.

The drill hole will be used to send a robotic camera into the mine for any sign of the missing men.

Word of the latest drill hole to punch into the mine came from Emery County sheriff's deputies.

There was no immediate confirmation from mine executives or federal regulators.

Crews have now drilled seven holes into the mine looking for the men and taking air samples.

Source: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1721778

 

[Buzz Mills]

Now if they can only get the crawler cam down the hole, without any problems--I wonder if they have sleeved the hole?? They said the other hole had shifted, or gotten clogged with mud. Hopefully they won't have that same problem with this attempt. The size of the crawler cam doesn't leave much leeway in the 8 7/8" inch hole. I wonder if they have a way of weighting the crawler cam, from the front, to transition it down the hole a little more smoothly??

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Two Mine Investigations Announced; 7th Hole Done

HUNTINGTON A seventh hole drilled more than a quarter-mile deep entered the Crandall Canyon mine before dawn Thursday, clearing the way for a robotic camera to search for any sign of six trapped miners, officials said.

Crews were tapping the drill steel to see if anyone would respond to noise and also testing the air for oxygen content, said Rich Kulczewski, a spokesman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

He had no results. It was not immediately known when the camera would be lowered through the hole, which is nearly 9 inches in diameter and 1,856 feet long.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Labor Department said an independent review will be conducted of MSHA's handling of the Utah mine disaster. Separately, MSHA announced its own investigation, led by the man who was in charge of the review of the Sago mine tragedy in West Virginia, where 12 people died in January 2006.

Richard Gates, an MSHA district manager in Alabama, has been with the agency for 19 years.

``MSHA's investigation will fully examine all available evidence to find the cause of the ground failure at Crandall Canyon mine and any violations of safety and health standards,'' MSHA chief Richard Stickler said in a statement.


More at link: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_242135158.html

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

They haven't gotten around to putting the camera in yet. As far as I know they were still withdrawing the drill bit from the hole. I think they will (hopefully) line the hole before sending the robot down. Good question about weighing the front end down. They really haven't said a whole lot about the technique they are or will be using.

Now if they can only get the crawler cam down the hole, without any problems--I wonder if they have sleeved the hole?? They said the other hole had shifted, or gotten clogged with mud. Hopefully they won't have that same problem with this attempt. The size of the crawler cam doesn't leave much leeway in the 8 7/8" inch hole. I wonder if they have a way of weighting the crawler cam, from the front, to transition it down the hole a little smoother??

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

Aug 30, 2007 4:32 pm US/Mountain
7th Hole Completed At Mine, Results Expected Soon

(KUTV) HUNTINGTON - On Thursday, crews successfully drilled a seventh hole through the mountain and into the Crandall Canyon mine and officials have deployed a robotic camera underground. The results of the hole will be announced at 5:30 p.m.

Crews tapped the drill steel to see whether anyone would respond to noise and were testing the air for oxygen content, said Rich Kulczewski, an MSHA spokesman. He had no results, and it wasn't known when the camera was lowered through the nearly 9-inch-wide, 1,856-foot-long hole.

Meanwhile, it was learned Thursday that the man who led the federal mine safety agency's investigation of the Sago mine tragedy in West Virginia will direct a similar probe of the Utah mine.

More at link: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_242135158.html

 

[Earthbound Misfit I]

They tried putting the camera down hole #7 and they encountered mud. I think they said there is a 2 and a half foot void and 7 feet of rubble in the area where they put hole #7. They tried putting it down hole #2 and got the same conditions. They are going to try putting the camera down hole #4 and they say when they do this there is a 90&#37; chance of losing the robot.

 

[Buzz Mills]

They tried putting the camera down hole #7 and they encountered mud. I think they said there is a 2 and a half foot void and 7 feet of rubble in the area where they put hole #7. They tried putting it down hole #2 and got the same conditions. They are going to try putting the camera down hole #4 and they say when they do this there is a 90% chance of losing the robot.

1414'--------------1586'------------1703'--------1865'------------2039'------------
3rd----------------4th---------------6th---7/1----2nd--------------5th---------------rescue
Hole---------------Hole-------------Hole--Hole---Hole-------------Hole--------------workers
CC147-<-520'->-CC143-<-520'->-CC139<260'>CC137-<-520'->-CC133-<-780'->-CC127
there's 130 feet between crosscuts

If I recall correctly, wasn't it Hole #4 where there was only a little clearance?? Seems that they said six, or so, inches??