If you are not closely following the mine disaster at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, WV that has so far resulted in the deaths of 25 coal miners, let me give you an update:
Rescue teams entered the mine for a third time in the dark hours this morning only to be turned back once again, this time because of smoke found deep inside the mine. In addition to battling high methane and hydrogen levels within the mine, officials must now deal with a fire of unknown origin, location, and severity. Only one of an apparent two rescue chambers was able to be checked this time around to determine if 4 missing mine workers had deployed it and used it. It was not deployed. The condition of those four miners still remains a mystery, nearly four days following the explosion.
This is all very disheartening, but the following might just make your blood boil--
Nitrogen will now be pumped into existing bore holes to make inert explosive and toxic gases. MSHA's Ken Stricklin has been referring to nitrogen use for days.
A reporter asked during last night press briefing why nitrogen wasn't deployed at an earlier time. Here's the answer to that, as followed up by Ken Ward, Jr. at the Charleston Gazette:
One reporter asked Stricklin why they didn’t try this nitrogen pumping earlier, like Tuesday morning, after rescue teams were initially ordered out of the mine for their own safety. Kevin — who is a real professional and a good fellow — was pretty diplomatic:
I can’t answer that. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of days and it just hasn’t been made available yet.
Well, I asked the Department of Labor Public Affairs office for an official answer to that question, and this is what I got via email just now from Carl Fillichio:
We asked the company for it 2 days ago. Company dragged their feet. We had to keep asking for it.
http://blogs.wvgazette.com/...
I don’t pretend to understand the procedures/policies/guidelines involved in a mine accident. One would hope that MSHA is all-powerful following a disaster of this proportion, leading the rescue and recovery efforts and not relying on the competence of the company whose negligence likely brought about the accident in the first place.
I don't understand why on earth MSHA relied on Massey Energy to procure or provide nitrogen. But certainly, when asked for this to save the lives of their miners and enable teams to recover the bodies of 18 dead miners, Massey should have fucking complied right quick.