Coal miner says mine a 'ticking time bomb'
BECKLEY, W.Va., May 24, 2010 -- UPI
West Virginia coal miners and family members told U.S. lawmakers Monday
conditions were bad before an explosion that killed 29 miners last
month.
Miners told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing in
Beckley that Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine was plagued by
methane and had poor ventilation, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
They also said the mine was rife with safety violations and they were
threatened with being fired if they didn't work fast enough, the
newspaper said.
Stanley Stewart, who said he worked at Upper Big Branch until the day of
the explosion, described it as "a ticking time bomb."
"My experience in the mines showed me that the ventilation system
they had didn't work," the Post-Gazette quoted Stewart as saying.
Alice Peters, mother-in-law of Dean Jones, a section foreman who was
among the miners killed in the April 5 blast, told the panel he had
talked about the mine's ventilation shortcomings.
"He also told me that, at least seven times, he was told by Massey
supervisors that, if he shut down production because of the ventilation
problems, he would lose his job," Peters said.
Steve Morgan said his son Adam, who also died in the accident, told him
coal dust had been thick in the mine and steps were taken to reduce the
levels when officials were "notified an inspector was on his way in."
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