NPR: Rush Of Gas Caused Mine Blast, Massey Theorizes (ya right)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128693062

Howard Berkes and Robert Benincasa

July 22, 2010

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship may be among the most vilified corporate executives of the moment, but neither he nor his company is backing down.

In twin assaults Thursday, both Blankenship and Massey Energy defended the coal mine company's safety practices and continued to deflect blame for the deadly blast April 5 that killed 29 mine workers at Massey's Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia.

Blankenship was the luncheon speaker at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where he delivered a speech about energy, economic and environmental policy, and then took questions from the audience.

Massey Energy floated a new theory about the cause of the Upper Big Branch explosion that blames a natural event that could not be prevented. Mine safety experts and federal mine safety officials dismiss the theory as self-serving and unlikely.

The theory is based on elevated methane gas readings inside the Upper Big Branch mine more than five hours after the April blast. They were 2.5 times above normal, according to Christopher Schemel, a mining engineer hired by Massey to assist in its own investigation of the accident.

"The methane gas data is a very important piece of evidence," Schemel says. He believes that data indicate a sudden and "unexpected release" of methane gas so "intense and overwhelming" it overpowered normal safety systems.

FULL story at link.

[Bluzmann57]

1. As I have stated many times, I work in an MSHA governed facility

So I am aware of the rules about accountability. Massey is trying to cover his ass because he should be in prison. He caused this disaster and should be held accountable.

[Botany]

2. Fuck You Don Blankenship

There were many, many, many warnings about excess methane and coal dust levels in that mine along with notices of failure to comply
w/ proper venting of the gases & dust too. A coal mine is not natural "thing" and detection along w/ venting of gases and coal dust is the
law and you broke that law in order to make more money.




Hell you even had an anti-environmental / government regulation concert for your miners last labor rather spend that money on
proper mine ventilation and no doubt some of those miners died in your mine last April.