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Three days to reach trapped Utah miners -owner

07 Aug 2007 17:28:10 GMT
Source: Reuters

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Mine rescue workers who did not wish to be identified leave the Crandall Canyon mine at the end of their shifts in Huntington, Utah, early August 7, 2007. There has been no contact with the six miners trapped 1,500 feet (450 metres) underground after the coal mine collapsed on Monday, and it is not known if they are alive or dead, the director of the mining operation said on Tuesday. Bob Murray, president and CEO of Murray Energy, which owns the mine operator, told reporters it could take three days to cut through the rock to reach the miners.
REUTERS/RAMIN RAHIMIAN

(Recasts with comments from mine co-owner, federal official)

By James Nelson

HUNTINGTON, Utah, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Rescue workers have no idea whether six miners are still alive after the collapse of a coal mine in central Utah and it will take at least three days to reach them, a co-owner of the operation said on Tuesday.

Bob Murray, president and chief executive of Murray Energy Corp., told reporters there had been no contact with the miners since the disaster early on Monday.

He said if the miners survived the initial collapse, "there is plenty of air in there for them to survive for weeks and there is water."

Rescue efforts suffered a setback overnight when dangerous conditions, including falling rock, forced teams to retreat.

"It will take three days if everything goes right to get to these miners," Murray said. "At that time, we'll know whether they're alive or dead."

Using heavy equipment to drill from above and teams inside the tunnels, rescuers are trying to reach an area 1,500 feet (450 metres) underground and 2,000 feet (610 metres) from the closest access point.

"Progress has been too slow," Murray said. "The families are doing fine, considering the circumstances."

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.

The area in central Utah, about 140 miles (225 km) south of Salt Lake City, is known for its mining industry and has seen its share of tragedy.

U.S. geologists are investigating whether a 3.9 magnitude tremor reported early Monday morning was an earthquake that might have caused the collapse or whether the reading resulted from the cave-in.

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.

Al Davis, district manager of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said he would not speculate on the cause or effect of the collapse. His team was focused on the rescue operation and would complete an investigation later, he said.

THE ROLE OF COAL

Murray also spent part of the news conference advocating the importance of coal to the U.S. economy and criticizing efforts to introduce legislation to curb global warming.

Earlier this summer, Murray had warned that the coal industry could collapse with the loss of 3 million to 4 million jobs if carbon dioxide emission controls were introduced.

Many environmentalists, companies and politicians say new technologies like alternative energy and capturing carbon for disposal underground would create a wave of new jobs.

Murray, whose private company produces about 30 million tons of coal per year, has formed the Coal-based Stakeholders Chief Executive Officers Group, made up of senior officials of railroads, some coal companies and utilities.

It opposes so-called "cap and trade" regulations, arguing that caps on emissions will devastate the coal industry, which fuels about half of the country's electricity generation.

For some, Monday's incident brought back memories of the 1984 Wilberg Mine disaster, which killed 27 miners in the worst coal-mine fire in Utah's history.

Concerns about mine safety in the United States rose last year when 12 miners were killed in an explosion at International Coal Group's Sago mine in West Virginia.

In response, Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law last year. (Additional reporting by Stacey Joyce, Bill Trott and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Steve James in New York)

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Last updated:Tue Aug 7 17:29:03 2007