'Discouraging' air tests in mine where 13 workers are trapped

Rescuers trying to reach 13 trapped US miners punched a hole into the mine early today, but a company executive said he was “very discouraged” by air quality tests.

Carbon monoxide levels measured 1,300 parts per million, exceeding the 400 parts per million maximum level that sustains life, said Ben Hatfield, chief executive officer of mine owner International Coal Group.

“We are very discouraged by the results of this test,” Hatfield said.

The test results were announced after crews drilled the hole. They also sent a camera down the 6-inch hole to look for signs of life, and planned to move in a camera-equipped robot, said Governor Joe Manchin said.

Still, Hatfield said the trapped miners could still be alive.

“They could be in another location or they could be barricaded somewhere,” Hatfield told reporters.

An explosion at about 6.40am (11.40am Irish time) yesterday trapped the miners 260 feet below the surface of the mine, located about 100 miles north-east of Charleston.

Earlier today, rescuers had penetrated more than 9,000 feet into the Sago coal mine, but were ordered to return to the surface today before the drilling crew punched into the mine.

Officials thought the workers should be removed in case the drilling caused a build-up of carbon monoxide that could endanger the rescuers, Hatfield said.

Four co-workers tried to reach the trapped miners immediately after the explosion, but stopped because of contaminated air. The blast knocked out the mine’s communication equipment, preventing authorities from contacting the miners.

Several hundred family members and friends waited for word on the miners, including Daniel Merideth, the son-in-law of trapped miner Alby Martin Bennett, who had planned to retire this year.

“Every day he would come home and pray for who was going in,” said Merideth. “Right now he is probably in there witnessing to people. He would be organising and praying.”

Teams had initially planned to begin drilling last night, but couldn’t start until early today because they had to do some grading work in the spot determined to be the best location.

The rescue teams entered the mine more than 11 hours after the blast. They were kept out of the mine for most of the day because of dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide.

The miners carry individual air purifying systems that would give them up to seven hours of clean air, said Tim McGee, who works at the mine and was among those at the Sago Baptist Church. They do not carry oxygen tanks, he said.

Gene Kitts, a senior vice president for mine owner International Coal Group, said the miners each had between three and 30 years experience and are trained to try to tap on roots, waterlines, anything possible, to alert rescuers of their location.

“This is not a rookie crew underground,” Kitts said. ”So we’re just trusting that their training and their mining instincts have kicked in immediately ...

“We will expect to be there quick enough so that food, water, those sorts of issues probably will not come into play,” Kitts said.

Coal mine explosions are typically caused by build-ups of naturally occurring methane gas, and the danger increases in the winter months, when the barometric pressure can release the odourless, colourless and highly flammable gas.

The mine had been idle on Saturday and Sunday, and two groups of miners were to resume production yesterday. A fire boss went into the mine before the first group entered the mine at 5.51am and declared it was safe.

The second group of miners entered at 6.30am, just before power went out in the mine. The second group withdrew.

ICG acquired the Sago Mine last March when it bought Anker West Virginia Mining, which had been in bankruptcy. The Sago Mine had annual production of about 800,000 tons of coal, the company said.

Federal inspectors cited the mine for 46 alleged violations of federal mine health and safety rules during an 11-week review that ended on December 22, according to records. The more serious alleged violations involved steps for safeguarding against roof falls, and the mine’s plan to control methane and breathable dust.

Kitts said safety at the mine has improved dramatically since ICG took over and the company is working closely with regulatory agencies to make further improvements.

“We think that we are operating a safe mine,” he said. “We have no real clue about what triggered this explosion or what happened today.”