This man is a professional liar "The Lord has already decided whether they're alive or dead," said Robert E. Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corp. of Cleveland, a part owner of the Crandall Canyon mine. "But it's up to Bob Murray and my management to get access to them as quickly as we can." "Progress has been too slow," Murray said. "The families are doing fine, considering the circumstances." (this man is a professional liar "The Lord has already decided whether they're alive or dead," said Robert E. Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corp. of Cleveland, a part owner of the Crandall Canyon mine. "But it's up to Bob Murray and my management to get access to them as quickly as we can."
Murray Energy owns Utah American Energy, which jointly owns the Crandall Canyon Mine with Intermountain Power Age. Utah American is responsible for operating the mine.
Murray, in often combative tones, insisted an earthquake was to blame for the collapse and lashed out at some industry experts interviewed by U.S. news organizations about the possible cause of the disaster.
"This was an earthquake, contrary to what" others" might have you believe," he said.
Before the stock market crash of 1929 my Dad told me it was the closest thing to Hell on earth he did in a long line of demeaning back breaking jobs which is the reason he became a union organizer also it gave me reason to be one also.
What worse than men like Murray is the union leadership which sold out the rest of mankind for a safe & soft job leaving the rank and file behind in a union leadership which serves the Mafia.
The The only thing worse than them is Bush & Congress the finest government money can buy.
Decision-based fact-making
The Bush administration has up-ended the normal fact-based decision-making process. They make decisions and then mold the facts to fit the decision. Blind emphasis on pro-business and anti-environmental policies, such as their refusal to negotiate or ratify the Kyoto accord, the promulgation of ineffectual voluntary pollution control measures, broad development policies based on market needs, and privatized solutions to public problems all add together to constitute an abuse of power in the face of scientific consensus on global climate change. Virtually all credible scientific studies now agree that the earth is warming due at least in part to anthropogenic (i.e., human-induced) causes. And yet since his days as Governor of Texas, Bush has championed private solutions to public problems where "voluntary" pollution controls generally amount to no pollution controls at all.
"Others Below" rest of the mining industry and government
Most unintentional roof falls occur in July, August, September, October and November, with August having the most falls.
On August 26, 2007, owner Bob Murray announced the closure of the Tower mine, which contains the area of the collapse. Murray announced that he would relocate workers to Illinois or Ohio if they choose, saying, "If they choose this, there will be no one laid off." Some workers complained that he was not offering enough benefits for relocated workers, and that a cost of living adjustment to local pay scales reduced their salary too much
In underground coal mining, crews first do what’s called advance mining, digging into the mountain to remove coal. In that process, about 30 to 40 percent of the coal is removed by cutting a maze of 20-foot-wide tunnels through it. Coal pillars 25 to 100 feet across are left in place. The result is a network of tunnels that looks like the map of a city of crisscrossing streets with coal pillars as the blocks in between. In Kentucky, 118 of 252 licensed underground coal mines have retreat operations.
Best Practices Retreat Mining BP Card No. 27 A review of fatal accidents that occurred during pillaring from 1989 through 1996 showed that:
� Forty-two percent of fatalities occurred on the final push out or the last lift; and � Forty percent of the fatal accidents occurred while the approved mining sequence was not followed. During the review, it was also discovered that:
� Adverse geology contributed to more than forty of all retreat mining fatalities.
� Most unintentional roof falls occur in July, August, September, October and November, with August having the most falls.
The best practices listed below should be followed
during retreat mining.
� Know your approved roof control plan.
� Follow the safety precautions and mining sequence
in the approved roof control plan. (The roof con
trol plan is a minimum plan.)
� Additional supports, such as longer bolts, posts,
cribs, crossbars, and metal straps, should be used
at any indication of bad roof.
� Install breaker posts; they are the only supports
that stand between you and the gob.
� Install radius turn posts and roadway posts; they
make a safe road.
� Continually observe the breaker, radius and
roadway posts to see if they are taking excessive
weight (bending or breaking).
� Use only posts that are of proper size, and are
installed on solid footing.
� While waiting between shuttle car runs, listen to
and sound the roof.
� Stay outby the intersection if you don't have a job
at the face.
U.S. Department of LaborMine Safety and Health Administration
� Never congregate near an active pillar line.
� Ensure that mechanical roof bolts are anchoring into at least 12 inches of solid strata.
� Drill test holes at least 12 inches deeper than the bolt being installed.
� Ensure that all draw rock is taken down or supported. Keep a slate bar of suitable length on the continuous miner and roof bolter for this purpose.
� Report all adverse roof conditions to the foreman.
� Always maintain proper stump and fender size.
� When mining the final push out, all persons, except haulage equipment and miner operators, should be located outby the immediate intersection.
� Do not mine the final push out if conditions do not look safe, or leave the stump if adverse conditions appear.
� Watch the mine floor conditions for evidence of heaving.
� Take special note of geologic conditions (slips, kettle bottoms) that did not adversely affect roof conditions during development. As stress in the roof from second mining increases, the influence and hazards of these conditions may increase.
� Carefully evaluate roof conditions in old areas where mechanical bolts were used for support. The anchorage of these bolts often deteriorate with time and new supports may be needed.
� In areas of high cover, pillar sloughing and the presence of fine, rust-colored dust at the top of the coal could be an indication of a concentration of stress which could be suddenly released.
Special practices for mines with shallow cover
� Take special precautions when approaching within 150 to 200 feet of the outcrop or when mine cover is less than 100 feet (check mine map).
� These special precautions should include additional roof support and reducing entry and crosscut width.
� Water dripping from the roof is an indication the roof strata has been fractured and weakened. Additional support may be needed.
� Special note should be taken of geologic conditions such as mud seams and vertical cracks in the roof.
Visit the MSHA home page at www.msha.gov
Best Practices Retreat Mining BP Card No. 27 A review of fatal accidents that occurred during pillaring from 1989 through 1996 showed that:
� Forty-two percent of fatalities occurred on the final push out or the last lift; and � Forty percent of the fatal accidents occurred while the approved mining sequence was not followed. During the review, it was also discovered that:
� Adverse geology contributed to more than forty of all retreat mining fatalities.
� Most unintentional roof falls occur in July, August, September, October and November, with August having the most falls.
The best practices listed below should be followed
during retreat mining.
� Know your approved roof control plan.
� Follow the safety precautions and mining sequence
in the approved roof control plan. (The roof con
trol plan is a minimum plan.)
� Additional supports, such as longer bolts, posts,
cribs, crossbars, and metal straps, should be used
at any indication of bad roof.
� Install breaker posts; they are the only supports
that stand between you and the gob.
� Install radius turn posts and roadway posts; they
make a safe road.
� Continually observe the breaker, radius and
roadway posts to see if they are taking excessive
weight (bending or breaking).
� Use only posts that are of proper size, and are
installed on solid footing.
� While waiting between shuttle car runs, listen to
and sound the roof.
� Stay outby the intersection if you don't have a job
at the face.
U.S. Department of LaborMine Safety and Health Administration
� Never congregate near an active pillar line.
� Ensure that mechanical roof bolts are anchoring into at least 12 inches of solid strata.
� Drill test holes at least 12 inches deeper than the bolt being installed.
� Ensure that all draw rock is taken down or supported. Keep a slate bar of suitable length on the continuous miner and roof bolter for this purpose.
� Report all adverse roof conditions to the foreman.
� Always maintain proper stump and fender size.
� When mining the final push out, all persons, except haulage equipment and miner operators, should be located outby the immediate intersection.
� Do not mine the final push out if conditions do not look safe, or leave the stump if adverse conditions appear.
� Watch the mine floor conditions for evidence of heaving.
� Take special note of geologic conditions (slips, kettle bottoms) that did not adversely affect roof conditions during development. As stress in the roof from second mining increases, the influence and hazards of these conditions may increase.
� Carefully evaluate roof conditions in old areas where mechanical bolts were used for support. The anchorage of these bolts often deteriorate with time and new supports may be needed.
� In areas of high cover, pillar sloughing and the presence of fine, rust-colored dust at the top of the coal could be an indication of a concentration of stress which could be suddenly released.
Special practices for mines with shallow cover
� Take special precautions when approaching within 150 to 200 feet of the outcrop or when mine cover is less than 100 feet (check mine map).
� These special precautions should include additional roof support and reducing entry and crosscut width.
� Water dripping from the roof is an indication the roof strata has been fractured and weakened. Additional support may be needed.
� Special note should be taken of geologic conditions such as mud seams and vertical cracks in the roof.
Visit the MSHA home page at www.msha.gov
