After review of mine tragedies, U.S. promises stricter inspections

Federal inspectors missed obvious problems and failed to follow procedures at the Sago Mine in West Virginia and two other underground coal mines where 19 men died in high-profile accidents last year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said.

Numerous steps are planned to correct problems MSHA uncovered during reviews of its actions in the three accidents. One is the creation of an internal accountability office charged with avoiding lapses in enforcement policies and procedures, according to MSHA’s director Richard Stickler.

MSHA’s internal review found lax enforcement at Sago, Massey Energy Co.’s Alma No. 1 Mine in Logan County or the Darby Mine in Kentucky. At the Alma mine, inspectors missed a majority of the violations the agency later determined contributed to the deaths of two miners in a conveyer belt fire Jan. 19, 2006. Inspectors failed to strictly enforce federal law and failed to conduct thorough inspections, the agency said.

Likewise, federal inspectors failed to address potential hazards at Darby before a methane gas explosion in an abandoned, sealed area of the mine killed five miners in May 2006. Specifically, inspectors did not always issue citations after finding faulty seal construction, MSHA said.

At Sago, MSHA faulted itself for setting the strength requirement for so-called alternative seals too low. A methane gas explosion in a sealed area of the mine destroyed 10 seals and allowed blast forces to enter the mine’s active workings. Thirteen miners were unable to escape after the explosion and all but one died.

MSHA also determined that its personnel failed to follow established inspection procedures. The accident also pointed out numerous areas where MSHA’s ability to respond to an emergency could be improved.