The news is the sort dreaded by miners and mining families all throughout the country, but especially in Appalachia. Yet, it’s all too common. Some 30 miles outside of Charleston, West Virginia, a sprawling mining complex owned by Massey Energy Company was the site of a massive explosion, killing an estimated 25 people. Indeed, the concentration of methane and carbon dioxide was so great that rescue attempts had to eventually be called off, leaving the final fates of four men unknown, but presumed dead.
That event, an explosion or a cave-in, is pretty much the biggest fear of any mining family. The mine in question (Upper Big Branch Mine) was fairly safe, by mine standards, but the ownership group has a history of safety problems. Still, the accident comes after a 2009 which was the safest year in American mining history, making it doubly unfortunate for all involved.
There’s no safe way to get coal out of the ground. There’s no really safe way to get anything out of the ground without destroying the entire mountain in the process. In a way, it’s good that the explosion happened during a shift change, as it kept the death toll from being as bad as it could have been.
Image: LA Times
Tags: mining disasters, Charleston, West Virginia, Massey Energy Company, worst mining disaster in 25 years, mine explosion, 25 miners missing or dead in explosion, Upper Big Branch Mine
