Coal industry addressing challenges in aftermath of tragedies

Sep 23 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Bill Archer Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.

After decades of progress in terms of coal mine safety, a series of coal-mine related tragedies in the first decade of the 21st Century has forced coal operators to take a new look at the way they address coal mine safety.

In West Virginia, the Sago Mine disaster that claimed 12 lives on, 2006, touched off a increased level of coal mine scrutiny in West Virginia. Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of International Coal Group, the company that operated Sago, said that in spite of four independent examinations at the mine that concluded that a lightning strike was the ignition source that started the fire at Sago, the public still considers coal operators in a negative light.

Hatfield said that at Sago, the industry standard seals were in place, but they failed in an event involving a lightning strike. He also noted that prior to April 5, the coal industry wouldn't think that a modern, long wall mining operation could cause the kind of explosion that could wipe out 29 coal miners working in three sections that were a great distance apart. But both events occurred and the coal industry is addressing the challenges.

"Sometimes, the old rules fail us," Hatfield said to a group of about 130 people gathered early Wednesday at the Bluefield Quality Hotel and Conference Center for the start of the second and final day of the 2010 Bluefield Coal Symposium sponsored by the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. "It is now readily apparent that our world has changed."

Hatfield said that all mine tragedies draw a lot of public attention, and the pace of mine tragedy investigations can prompt people who are unfamiliar with the coal industry to make leaps in judgment. "We become judged as law-breakers in the court of public opinion," he said.

With all of the additional scrutiny, Hatfield said that the failure to improve the industry's safety record is a greater threat than climate change. "We have to take a fresh approach as to how we operate our coal mines," Hatfield, a Logan County native said.

During a question-and-answer period following his remarks, Bill Reid, chair of the Symposium, and editor/publisher of "Coal News," a coal industry publication published monthly, asked Hatfield to comment on how the media portrays the coal industry's attitudes on safety and training.

Hatfield said that ICG's commitment to employee participation in the company's safety program, "goes all the way to the working face. We pride ourselves on training," he said. "We have a motivated work force."

Hatfield said that when ICG conducted a random drug screening at one of its mines that caused the company to dismiss 50 percent of the coal miners working one section, he did not receive a single complaint, pointing out that the coal miners are as committed to safety as ICG.

Dan Pochick asked Hatfield to comment about legislation that was passed after the 2006 Sago disaster. "What we learned at Sago is that there wasn't a good fall back that was effective," he said. "Our company was the first to order a mine safety shelter.

"It was not an obvious problem," he said of the ignition that caused the Sago tragedy. He said that the industry learned at Sago that "barricading doesn't always work as well," in every situation.

With all the challenges facing the coal industry, Hatfield said the future of coal is good. He said that as demand for energy increases, even the industry's most ardent detractors will recognize that coal is "the only horse that pulls the load" in terms of meeting the nation's energy needs. He said that eliminating coal hurts middle Americans the most, and that without coal, bad things will happen to the quality of life for Americans.

"I think the outlook for coal is good," Hatfield said. "I believe reasonable people will see that."

Kevin Crutchfield, chief executive officer of Alpha Natural Resources, told symposium attendees the challenge of climate change legislation has never been about climate change. "It about an attack on carbon. It's an attack on our liberties and what we enjoy today."

Crutchfield said that Alpha believes it has the ability to power the world through the energy of its people. He said that the company has built trust with its employees in a very real effort to work toward zero lost time accidents. But he said the key was to get employees to commit to the concept. "If you don't care, it doesn't work," he said.

Crutchfield said the company went out to reduce any risky behavior. "It's not OK to cut corners," he said. He said that employees have responded by taking an active role in focusing on workplace safety. He said that by involving everyone in the effort, the result has been very good. "When you have 20 eyes looking at work place safety, it's better than just two," he said. "Everybody has a seat at the table," he said. "It's very much based on trust. We're not after the sinner. We're after the sin.

"Once you gain momentum, it's powerful," Crutchfield said. He said that a company can't manage its stock price, but it can "put runs on the board" in the form of improved safety statistics. "We try to involve (the Mine Safety and Health Administration) in employee training. We try to avoid a we versus them" (attitude)," he said. "It's our responsibility, not theirs," he added about mine safety.

"It's all about behaviors," Crutchfield said. He showed a graph with about 25 Alpha coal mining operations -- mostly surface mines, but about a half-dozen underground mines -- with no lost-time accidents. "It is possible to run a coal mining operation without a lost-time accident and these operations are proof of it," Crutchfield said.

"Zero is absolutely possible," he said. "It's going to take time to get there, but involving employees is absolutely essential," he said. "Without involvement, there will be no commitment."

Hatfield and Crutchfield were just two of the coal industry experts who spoke during the second day of the two-day coal symposium. Other speakers included Rick Honaker, chair and professor, Department of Mining Engineering, University of Kentucky, Bill Bissett, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, Chris Hamiton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, Jim Dean, director West Virginia University Extension and Outreach, Tom Barczak, chief ground control branch, office of Mine Safety and Health Research, Dave Chirdon, New Technology Program Manager, approval and Certification Center, MSHA, Andrew M. Walla, professor of Department of Mining Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lou Barletta Jr., vice president, safety, Consol Energy and John Gallick, vice president safety and health, Alpha Natural Resources.

--Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com