Independent Review of MSHA's Actions at Crandall Canyon Mine

The following table provides data concerning each of the seven boreholes.
Borehole
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Borehole No. 1
Start Finish
August 7th @
7:30 p.m.
August 8th @
1:20 p.m.
August 13th @
10:12 p.m.
August 16th @
3:45 p.m.
August 19th @
11:15 p.m.
August 23rd @
4:00 p.m.
August 28th @
4:00 a.m.
Borehole Summary
August 9th @
9:58 p.m.
August 11th @
1:00 a.m.
August 15th @
10:11 a.m.
August 18th @
9:16 a.m.
August 22nd @
8:30 a.m.
August 25th @
4:00 p.m.
August 30th @
4:15 p.m.
Time to
Drill
Depth
50.5 hours 1871 feet
Time to Move
to Next Hole
59.6 hours 1886 feet 69.2 hours
36.0 hours 1414 feet 29.5 hours
41.5 hours 1587 feet 38.0 hours
58.3 hours 2039 feet 31.5 hours
48.0 hours 1783 feet 60.0 hours
48.3 hours 1865 feet
While the small drill rig was flown in by helicopter, equipment was brought in to prepare the
site. Again, because of the rugged terrain above the mine site, it was a difficult task to
perform. Drilling started with the small rig at approximately 7:30 p.m. MDT on August 7 th ,
about 40.5 hours after the accident occurred.
The location of the first two boreholes was determined by officials at the mine site early on
August 6 th . Borehole No. 1 was a 2.4 inch diameter hole that was planned to be drilled into the
No. 3 entry at crosscut 138. This was the location of the “kitchen”, the area where the miners
normally ate. Officials thought that the trapped miners would gather at this location to wait
for rescue.
As the first borehole neared the mine level, all rescue workers were withdrawn from the mine
as a safety precaution. (Rescue workers were not withdrawn from the mine for any other
borehole, as there was no methane detected from this borehole.) Borehole No. 1, which was
1871 feet deep, drilled into the mine at approximately 9:58 p.m. on August 9 th , about 50.5
hours after drilling was started and just over 91 hours after the accident. This was a
reasonable time, considering the depth of cover and the terrain in the area. The drill rig was
shut down and the drill steel was pounded on in an effort to communicate with the trapped
miners. There was no response. Because of the small diameter of the hole, a camera could not
be lowered into the mine to view the conditions where the borehole penetrated the mine.
When the borehole intersected the mine, MSHA Technical Support (TS) personnel were on site
to obtain air quality measurements from the hole. After purging the hole with a vacuum
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