SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va., March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- International Coal Group, Inc. today responded to a report on the Sago mine accident issued by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
"The UMWA's report is nothing more than political grandstanding," said Ben Hatfield, president and chief executive officer of International Coal Group. "The report is wholly unreliable as an investigatory finding and is designed solely to further the union's political and organizing agenda."
Three independent investigations have already presented comprehensive findings on the Sago mine accident, including those issued by J. Davitt McAteer, special adviser to Governor Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Office of Miner's Health, Safety and Training (WVOMHST) and the Company. All three investigations concluded that the explosion was caused by a lightning strike that ignited methane gas that had naturally accumulated within a sealed and abandoned area.
Both the state mine regulators and the Company had experienced accident investigators that participated in the on-site accident investigation, including electrical engineers, lightning experts, structural engineers, explosion forces experts, combustion scientists and others with specialized training. In contrast, the UMWA representatives that participated in the on-site accident investigation had no such specialized training or credentials.
The UMWA does not represent the work force at the Sago mine. In fact, 96% of Sago's workforce, specifically 93 of 97 hourly employees, signed a petition rejecting the UMWA's efforts to inject itself into the accident investigation as the miners' representatives.
Among the more glaring inaccuracies in the UMWA's so-called investigation report are:
* The UMWA says that "frictional activity from the roof, roof support or
support material" is the most likely source of ignition and that "there
is no evidence to support" a finding that lightning triggered the
methane explosion. The union's finding in this regard is patently
absurd. There is significant scientific and circumstantial evidence
that supports the finding that lightning caused the explosion. This
evidence has been detailed in previous reports as well as public
hearings. The union ignores this evidence by saying that a lightning
ignition of this sort is "unprecedented" and therefore cannot happen.
It then offers absolutely no evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, to
support its supposition that a roof fall triggered the explosion.
* The UMWA report states that the lack of experienced mine rescue teams
on-site immediately and "indecisiveness and inexperience on the part of
ICG" contributed to the outcome of the Sago mine accident. This claim
by the UMWA is likewise wrong. As has been pointed out many times,
there were sufficient mine rescue teams on-site at Sago and the rescue
efforts were not delayed by a lack of rescue teams or the time of their
arrival. The mine rescue teams were not allowed to enter the mine
until complex gas trending analyses conducted by state and federal
inspectors indicated that the risk of a secondary explosion had
diminished. These analyses were relied upon because the safety of mine
rescue teams is considered paramount and there have been
well-documented instances in which mine rescue personnel have been
killed in secondary explosions.
* The UMWA leadership seems to have lost touch with standard mining
practices in Appalachia, as evidenced by their failure to understand
the ventilation system employed at the mine seals and by their
categorization of "second mining" as being "extremely rare." It is
common practice throughout the industry (at union and union-free mines)
to install an extra line of ventilation controls outside a sealed area
to direct the air sweeping the seals into return airways. To insinuate
that this practice was unsafe is ludicrous. Similarly, the procedure
of "second mining," which is also known as bench mining, has been used
for decades when geologic conditions permit.
"The UMWA has rolled out this so-called report with its usual bombast; however, upon closer review the report is simply a propaganda piece designed to criticize and undermine the state and federal mine regulators and ICG, whose miners continue to work union free," said Hatfield. "The UMWA's report does not present any new facts or scientific analyses to support their unfounded accusations."
ICG has actively supported development of new technologies that use the lessons learned at Sago to enhance coal mine safety. The Company has actively participated in identifying and testing wireless communication systems, implemented mine evacuation plans in the event of approaching lightning in mines with sealed areas that could pose ignition risks, and placed orders for emergency rescue shelters for its underground mines nationwide.
ICG is a leading producer of coal in Northern and Central Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. The Company has 11 active mining complexes, of which 10 are located in Northern and Central Appalachia and one in Central Illinois. ICG's mining operations and reserves are strategically located to serve utility, metallurgical and industrial customers throughout the Eastern United States.
