Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) - Report of ...

Robert E. Murray. AAI continued to work for GRI, and provided further analyses confirming
the viability of GRI’s plan to recover the Main West barriers (see Appendix G). Coal production
ceased at the South Crandall Canyon Mine at the end of August.
During the last quarter of 2006, pillar recovery in the South Mains was completed and mining of
the North Barrier section was initiated. Four entries were developed through the Main West
North Barrier beneath overburden ranging from 1,500 to 2,240 feet. AAI visited the section on
December 1, 2006, and reported that “There was no indication of problematic pillar yielding or
roof problems that might indicate higher-than-predicted abutment loads” (see Appendix H).
Pillar recovery began in February 2007. The two southern pillars were extracted and the
northernmost pillar was left intact to establish a bleeder system.
On March 10, 2007, a non-injury coal outburst accident occurred on the North Barrier section
that severely damaged pillars and ventilation controls and caused GRI to abandon the section.
Mining equipment was moved to the South Barrier section while coal was produced on a spare
section in the 3 rd North Mains. The North Barrier section was sealed on March 27, 2007, inby
crosscut 118, and GRI commissioned AAI to refine the pillar design for the South Barrier
section. In this area, AAI recommended that GRI develop larger pillar dimensions, slab the
barrier south of the No. 1 entry, and avoid skipping pillars during recovery under the deepest
overburden (see Appendix I).
Four entries were developed through the length of the Main West South Barrier with entry
centerlines spaced 80 feet apart and crosscut centerlines every 130 feet (80 x 130-foot centers)
beneath overburden ranging from 1,300 to 2,160 feet. A 55-foot wide barrier separated the
section from room notches mined off the No. 1 entry of the Main West, and a 121-foot wide
barrier separated it from the sealed longwall Panel 13 to the south. The average mining height
was approximately 8 feet. During development up to 5 feet of bottom coal was left in the
western portion of the section.
Pillar recovery of the South Barrier section began on July 15, 2007, and continued until the
August 6, 2007, accident. The approved roof control plan permitted mining up to 40 feet deep
cuts into the barrier pillar south of the No. 1 entry during pillar recovery, except in the area
between crosscuts 139 and 142 (see Appendix J). This area was to remain unmined to protect
the bleeder entry where the section had been narrowed to three entries. Additional production
was gained during pillar recovery by ramping down into the bottom coal during cuts from the
pillars. Safety precautions for this type of mining were not addressed in the approved roof
control plan.
Officials for parties controlling the mine operation at the time of the accidents included:
Robert E. Murray .............................President, Murray Energy Corporation
P. Bruce Hill............................... President and CEO of UEI, ARI, and GRI
Robert D. Moore ........................................Treasurer of UEI, ARI, and GRI
Michael O. McKown .................................Secretary of UEI, ARI, and GRI
Laine Adair ................................... General Manager of UEI, ARI, and GRI
James Poulson..................................Safety Manager of UEI, ARI, and GRI
Gary Peacock ...................................................Mine Superintendent of GRI
Bodee Allred .............................................................Safety Director of GRI
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