Rep. Miller (D-CA) Wants Criminal Probe Of 2007 Utah Mine Collapse

[babylonsister]

Miller to Justice: Investigate Crandall Canyon

House chairman wants Justice Department to investigate Crandall Canyon collapse

JESSE J. HOLLAND
AP News

May 08, 2008 11:50 EST


Federal prosecutors should open a criminal investigation into the deaths of nine people in a Utah mine collapse last year, a leading House Democrat said Thursday.

Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, said he made a criminal referral to the Justice Department on the August 2007 collapse of the Crandall Canyon mine.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is still investigating the two cave-ins that killed six miners and three rescuers.

"I was concerned that the mine operator may have willfully misled MSHA about information that could have affected MSHA's decision to approve the mining plans," Miller said.

The U.S. attorney's office in Utah said Thursday it would take Miller's request "very seriously."

more...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/05/miller_to_justice_investigate.php

[malaise]

1. The 'must read Report '-pdf

http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCM%20Report%20Final%20FOR%20POSTING%20020608.pdf
<snip>
"...this report examines (1) how mine operating company Murray Energy Corporation ("Murray Energy") conceived, designed, and tested its plans to mine the barrier pillars in the Main West section and (2) MSHA's review of those plans and its monitoring of safety conditions during mining of the barrier pillars...

It is important to note that the mining operations proposed by Murray Energy, and approved by MSHA, at Crandall Canyon were among the most dangerous ever attempted. In a march 10, 2007 internal memo to Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray - one day before a near-tragic roof collapse in the North barrier pillar - company executive Bruce Hill wrote that "We are now approaching 2,000 feet of cover. MSHA has never allowed pillar recovery at this depth." (emphasis added) Exhibit 2.

The investigation has uncovered multiple failures in both the company's formulation and MSHA's review of the mining plans at Crandall Canyon. As conceived by the company and its technical consultant, Agapito Associates, the plans posed serious safety risks that were either ignored or not detected during the planning process. In addition, MSHA's review of the plans was neither complete nor sufficiently rigorous. Indeed, mining expert and former MSHA engineer Robert Ferriter described MSHA's review of Crandall Canyon mine plans as a "broken system".

Even setting asside the plan itself, there were multiple warning signs during mining operations - such as heightened seismic activity and a major mine bounce in March 2007...
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Rep. Miller is 100% correct. Men should be heading to prison although with this Justice Department they may be rewarded.

Some links from DU
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1551596

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3435994

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1584977

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1536242

All DU links here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/searchresults.html?q=Bob+Murray&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com&sa=Search&domains=democraticunderground.com&client=pub-7805397860504090&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en

[malaise]

2. I'm kicking this for those who followed this disaster n/t

[babylonsister]

3. We all did, I thought, at least those with a tv. Did we have a choice?

I so wish Miller does get a criminal investigation going; the owner is a criminal. :mad:

[malaise]

4. True but there were some very knowledgeable DUers

who provided lots of information.

[babylonsister]

8. On to the next outrage, I guess. So many of them, so little time. nt

[ogsbee]

5. Remember how the media gave Bob Murray a platform for his earthquake lies?

The corporo-fascist media failed the truth yet once again. It was obvious he was a lying criminal bastard.

[malaise]

6. That was unbelievable

Don't expect any coverage re these hearings
Please recommend this thread

[spanone]

7. been waiting days for this...

[Stuart G]

9. They ought to take that owner and put him in that shut up mine..nt