Gas, Coal Dust to Blame in Massey Energy's Mine Blast Last Year, U.S. Says
A small ignition of methane gas combined with a buildup of coal dust inside Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch mine triggered the April explosion that killed 29 miners, the Obama administration said today.
Massey was running the mine’s main coal-cutting machine without all the water sprayers that help tamp down the combustible dust and douse small methane ignitions to prevent explosions, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said today on a conference call with reporters. The explosion in West Virginia was the worst U.S. mine accident in 40 years.
Kevin Stricklin, assistant administrator for coal at MSHA, said the agency investigation found no evidence backing up Massey’s contention that a burst of gas from a crack in the mine floor overwhelmed safeguards. The final U.S. report on the April 5 disaster is due in two to three months.
Shane Harvey, Massey’s general counsel, said in an e-mailed statement that the company’s findings are different from the “working theory” of the safety agency.
“We likewise do not believe that coal dust played a meaningful role in the explosion,” he said. Sprays may have been damaged in the explosion, and wouldn’t have suppressed a spark or a fire, he said.
Regulatory Costs
The Massey disaster is exacting a price from mining companies, including International Coal Group Inc. and Patriot Coal Corp., as the administration steps up safety inspections and penalties. Increased U.S. scrutiny cost the coal industry about $665 million in lost productivity last year, based on data from Wood Mackenzie Consultants Ltd. based in Edinburgh.
Massey probably will report its third consecutive quarterly loss on Feb. 1, according to the average estimates of nine analysts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company’s directors ordered a review of strategic alternatives in November, a process that may lead to a sale.
Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship retired Dec. 31, ending a 28 year career at the company, after engaging in a public debate with MSHA regarding blame for the explosion.
To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington at hrosenkrantz@bloomber.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net
Massey Disputes U.S. Findings on Cause of Fatal Blast
Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images
People participate in a candle light vigil at Marshfork Elementary School held for the deceased coal miners on April 10, 2010 in Montcoal, West Virginia.
People participate in a candle light vigil at Marshfork Elementary School held for the deceased coal miners on April 10, 2010 in Montcoal, West Virginia. Photographer: Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images
July 22 (Bloomberg) -- Don Blankenship, chief executive officer of Massey Energy Co., talks about the company's coal mine explosion in West Virginia on April 5 and the mine's ventilation system. Blankenship speaks with Margaret Brennan on Bloomberg Television's "InBusiness." (This is an excerpt of the full interview. Source: Bloomberg)
April 6 (Bloomberg) -- An explosion at a coal mine in West Virginia killed 25 workers and left four missing, said Massey Energy Co., the owner of the pit. The disaster was the worst of its kind since 1984. Bloomberg's Peter Cook reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
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