Hello hiatt-ga,
Thank you for your question. I have compiled the following list of
information resources pertaining to the Jim Walter Resources Inc
Number 5 mine disaster. They are categorized by "News, Government,
Business and Other". I believe that this list is quite comprehensive,
have a look :
==== NEWS ====
+-----------------------------------+
http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2002/37/ma_96_01.html
[text pasted directly from source]
Fire in the Hole
A year after the worst coal-mining accident in nearly two decades,
those left behind sue for answers and justice.
By Aram Roston
September/October, 2002 Issue
Last September 23, as many Americans watched the World Trade Center
memorial service at Yankee Stadium, 32 men -- lured by Sunday double
time -- descended into the deepest coal mine in North America. Owned
by Jim Walter Resources, Blue Creek Number 5 lies under Brookwood,
Alabama (population 1,483). The miners rode 'the cage" 210 stories
down into gloom, heat, and the methane gas emitted by seams of coal.
Officials believe that as Gaston Adams Jr. and three other miners
worked to shore up a shaft ceiling, falling rock hit a battery
charger, sparking a methane explosion. Pinned, Adams gave his headlamp
to his buddies and waited in the dark for rescue. As the mine was
evacuated, 12 men, most in their 50s, tried to save Adams instead.
Forty-five minutes later, a second, more powerful blast killed them
all and set off a fire that raged for three days, until the company
flooded the shaft. It was the worst coal-mining disaster in nearly 20
years.
Normally this would have been national news. But last fall there was
no more room in the American psyche for tragedy or heroism. A year
later, however, families and survivors are demanding to be heard. In
10 different lawsuits, they allege that "wanton" and "willful"
negligence on the part of Jim Walter Resources and its managers led,
in the words of one suit, to "conditions that were extremely dangerous
and hazardous, creating great risks of death and serious injury." Just
prior to the blast, miners say, faulty ventilation systems led to
methane levels so high that some workers, including Adams, refused to
run machinery, preferring instead to shore up ceilings. Company
spokesman Kyle Parks says methane is inevitable in a deep coal mine,
but that "there were no ventilation problems that we were aware of."
Federal records indicate otherwise. According to Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA) inspection reports, the Number 5 mine had
a history of excessive safety hazards and 31 outstanding violations at
the time of the accident. Just six days before the disaster, MSHA
inspectors wrote that methane concentrations "in excess of 5 percent"
posed an "imminent danger" and that the company's "approved
ventilation plan was not being complied with." Inspectors also found
excessive coal dust, which can fuel explosions, and unsupported roof
areas.
It was a recipe for disaster, but the agency didn't follow through.
"This is not an MSHA inspector problem," says Joseph Main, director of
the United Mine Workers of America's health and safety department.
"This is an MSHA management problem." In a March letter to David
Lauriski, the agency's new boss, Main complained that coal-mine deaths
are on the rise, and MSHA "has backed off enforcement of health and
safety laws." In part, Main blames the cozy relationship between
industry and MSHA. For example, an MSHA official that the Number 5
inspectors reported to -- Terry Langley -- used to be a Jim Walter
manager, the type of situation that disgusts Brookwood survivor Robert
Tarvin. "Going to dinner and playing golf and all this kind of junk,"
he spits. The revolving door extends to Washington, where the Bush
administration has stacked the agency with industry officials,
including Lauriski. "If you know the history of this industry," Main
says, "you can see why miners would be concerned when coal company
bosses take over the administration of mine safety and health laws."
But MSHA spokeswoman Kathy Snyder replies, "The numbers of coal-mine
inspections and citations issued have remained stable in recent
years."
Workers' compensation laws protect companies and their supervisors
from lawsuits related to on-the-job accidents. So until MSHA and the
union complete their investigations, the lawsuits are in limbo. "None
of us wants to spend the time and resources chasing one rabbit, when
we should be chasing another," says lawyer Jeffrey Rickard. Perhaps
the best hope for change at the mine lies with Mike Boyd, brother of
victim Clarence Boyd. Now vice president of the union local, Boyd
continues to work at the Number 5 mine so as to ensure that there's a
whistleblower on site. "As long as Jim Walter is around, I'm going to
be in those coal mines," Boyd says. "It will be one of two things.
[Either] the public will realize when they fire me, the reason why
they fire me. Or [the company] is going to start to do things right."
+-----------------------------------+
al.com Special Report : Mine rescue try fails; 13 dead
http://www.al.com/specialreport/?birminghamnews/mine.html/
+-----------------------------------+
Environment News Service : Explosions at Alabama Coal Mine Kill 13
http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2001/2001-09-25-08.asp
+-----------------------------------+
Chicago Tribune | Disaster at No. 5 Mine
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/showcase/chi-0209220285sep22,0,3154718.story?coll=chi-site-nav
+-----------------------------------+
Birmingham News from September 28, 2001
http://www.redcrossbirmingham.org/pr092801.htm
+-----------------------------------+
The Oak Ridger Online -- State News --Families mourn victims of mine
explosion 09-26-01
http://www.oakridger.com/stories/092601/stt_0926010014.html
+-----------------------------------+
Accident Occurs at Coal Mine Operated by Walter Industries Subsidiary,
Jim Walter Resources
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=105&STORY=/www/story/09-24-2001/0001577779
+-----------------------------------+
Brookwood News Articles : Experts: Danger always there | Closed mine
reopens
http://www.umwa.org/brookwood/birminghampostherald.shtml
+-----------------------------------+
Charleston Daily Mail : Union critical of federal oversight at Ala.
mine
http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2002040625/
+-----------------------------------+
Revolutionary Worker Online : Thirteen Dead at Blue Creek No. 5
http://rwor.org/a/v23/1120-29/1121/bluecreek_miners.htm
+-----------------------------------+
The Militant - December 3, 2001 -- Miners fight to expose safety
violations at Jim Walter
http://www.themilitant.com/2001/6546/654602.html
+-----------------------------------+
The Militant - October 15, 2001 -- Miners had told bosses of unsafe
conditions
http://www.themilitant.com/2001/6539/653903.html
+-----------------------------------+
==== GOVERNMENT ====
+-----------------------------------+
U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration
(www.msha.gov) :
Jim Walter Resources Inc.'s No. 5 Mine Explosion - Home page
http://www.msha.gov/minefire/jwr/jwrhp.htm
Search results of "Jim Walter" with several relevant articles,
including "Petitions for Modification"
http://www.msha.gov/INDEXES/ALLDOC.idq?CiScope=%2F&CiMaxRecordsPerPage=10&TemplateName=query&CiSort=rank%5Bd%5D&HTMLQueryForm=query.htm&CiRestriction=jim+walter
+-----------------------------------+
Alabama State Legislature : Mourning the untimely death of Nelson
Banks
http://www.legislature.state.al.us/SearchableInstruments/20014S/Resolutions/HJR10.htm
+-----------------------------------+
Alabama Department of Industrial Relations : 2001 Annual Report
http://www.dir.state.al.us/pubs/2001annualreport.pdf
+-----------------------------------+
U.S. Methane Emissions 1990 - 2020: Inventories, Projections, and
Opportunities for Reductions: 4. Coal Mining
(includes data for Blue Creek Number 5 Mine)
http://www.epa.gov/ghginfo/pdfs/04-coal.pdf
+-----------------------------------+
==== BUSINESS ====
+-----------------------------------+
MSN Money - WLT Key Developments Investing
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/sigdev.asp?Symbol=WLT
" October 09, 2001
Walter Industries, Inc. affirmed that earnings for its third quarter
ended September 30, 2001 are expected to be near the mid-point of its
previously announced guidance of $.28 to $.33 per share, despite the
recent accident at its Jim Walter Resources No. 5 Mine in Brookwood,
Alabama. Due to the September 23, 2001 coal mining accident, Walter
Industries will incur a one-time pre-tax charge of $10.8 million in
the third quarter. Beyond this charge, the Company believes it has
adequate insurance coverage for workers compensation, property damage
and business interruption, and therefore does not expect the No. 5
Mine accident to have a material impact on fourth-quarter operating
results at Jim Walter Resources. "
+-----------------------------------+
Jim Walter tragedy shouldn't hurt sale of mines - 2001-10-08 -
Birmingham Business Journal
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2001/10/08/story6.html
+-----------------------------------+
==== OTHER ====
+-----------------------------------+
Jim Walter Resources Official Website
http://www.jimwalterresources.com
+-----------------------------------+
WORKINGS (News Mag for Jim Walter Resources Inc) No. 5 Mine Monument
http://www.jwrworkings.com/monument.html
+-----------------------------------+
Beasley Allen : Coal miners' widow files suit
http://www.beasleyallen.com/case_news.asp?newsID=%7BFE914D03-1A9D-429D-B7E8-8ED9D097FA0F%7D
+-----------------------------------+
United Mine Workers of America : UMWA Plays Major Role in Alabama
Disaster Recovery and Investigation
http://www.umwa.org/journal/VOL113NO1/ourhealthandsafety.shtml
+-----------------------------------+
Google Search Terms :
"Blue Creek" "number 5" OR "no 5" OR "no. 5" OR "five" Mine
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22Blue+Creek%22+no+OR+no%2E+5+OR+five+Mine%22Blue+Creek%22+%22number+5%22+OR+%22no+5%22+OR+%22no%2E+5%22+OR+%22five%22+Mine
"Blue Creek" "number 5" OR "no 5" OR "no. 5" OR "five" Mine accident
OR disaster
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22Blue+Creek%22+%22number+5%22+OR+%22no+5%22+OR+%22no%2E+5%22+OR+%22five%22+Mine+accident+OR+disaster
Jim Walter Resources mine accident OR disaster
://www.google.com/search?q=Jim+Walter+Resources+mine+accident+OR+disaster&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1
Unsuccessful searches :
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission
http://www.fmshrc.gov/ (Google site search)
"jim walter" OR "blue creek" accident or disaster site:.gov
://www.google.com/search?as_q=%22jim+walter%22+OR+%22blue+creek%22+accident+or+disaster&num=10&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=.gov&safe=images
"jim walter" OR "blue creek" accident or disaster site:.us
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&q=%22jim+walter%22+OR+%22blue+creek%22+accident+or+disaster+site%3A.us
If you need more (specific) information or have any questions with
regard to my answer, please do not hesitate to request for
clarification. Thank you for using Google Answers.
Regards,
kyrie26-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
kyrie26-ga
on
31 Oct 2002 10:34 PST
Hi hiatt-ga,
It looks like the bottom line on who is at fault, is still an
unresolved issue, and investigations are still under way. Here are a
couple of relevant articles :
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Alabama mine blast unresolved after a year : Disaster report not
finished (September 22, 2002)
http://sundaygazettemail.com/news/Other+News/200209219/
" At the same time, however, serious questions remain.
What exactly caused the Brookwood explosion? Why didn't federal
inspectors, charged with protecting the safety of miners, prevent the
blast? What can be done to keep such a disaster from happening again?
"
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Chicago Tribune | Disaster at No. 5 Mine
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/showcase/chi-0209220285sep22,0,3154718.story?coll=chi-site-nav
" A year later, with memories of the disaster still fresh among the
miners and anger toward the company growing stronger, the story of
what went wrong is still being pieced together.
Some surviving miners blame the company for the horrific death toll.
Jim Walter routinely sacrificed safety for coal production, they say.
And during the frantic 50 minutes between the two explosions, they say
company supervisors issued misleading directions that led to miners'
deaths.
Jim Walter officials declined to discuss many aspects of the tragedy,
citing an ongoing federal investigation. But company executives said
they ran the mine safely and tried to protect their workers from harm.
The men acted on the miners code, Jim Walter officials say, and rushed
in to rescue a fallen comrade, ignoring the perils ahead.
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA, the Labor
Department division that enforces mine safety and issues citations, is
still investigating the accident. The families of the dead miners and
a few of the surviving miners are suing Jim Walter, although those
cases remain in the early stages.
Amid the welter of accusations and defenses, certain facts have
emerged from MSHA case files, internal company records and interviews
with miners.
Records and interviews show serious safety infractions at this
top-producing U.S. coal company and lapses by the federal agency
charged with inspecting its mines. No. 5 Mine had a higher injury rate
than three-quarters of U.S. underground coal mines during the last
decade, making it one of the most hazardous in the country.
Federal officials cited a lack of emergency planning at the mine. In a
December letter to Jim Walter officials, MSHA Alabama district manager
Frank C. Young Jr. wrote that the ongoing investigation indicated
"there was no responsible person who took control of the situation"
during the disaster.
Jim Walter officials dispute MSHA's conclusion that the company's
evacuation plans and practices were inadequate, saying the aboveground
dispatcher and a foreman underground "took control of the situation as
it developed."
Although Young had approved Jim Walter's six-page emergency plan for
the No. 5 Mine in 1999, he asked company officials to quickly revise
that plan three months after the September blasts. Making points the
company would later dispute, Young questioned the company's ability to
locate and evacuate miners during an emergency. Some shifts, he noted,
didn't have anybody designated to direct emergency responses.
Many miners had lost faith in MSHA. Jim Walter foremen often were
tipped off before federal inspectors arrived in their sections of the
sprawling mines, veteran company miners said in Tribune interviews.
"The boss would call ahead," said Ray Milan, who has toiled for 22
years in Jim Walter mines. The men would clean their stations to avoid
citations. Then, "soon as the inspectors leave, everybody gets up and
goes back to running coal," Milan said.
Some crucial truths remain obscured. The miners' accounts of the event
are at times contradictory or incomplete, and many were reluctant to
talk.
The company's aboveground dispatcher testified to federal inspectors
that he consistently alerted miners to the explosions below, according
to sources familiar with that testimony. Some miners have corroborated
the dispatcher's account in Tribune interviews.
But other men dispersed across the mine that afternoon say they were
given no word of the emergency. Some said the dispatcher told them the
distant rumble that felled Adams was only a routine fire or vent
rupture, not an explosion.
An explosion can knock out the mine's ventilation system, allowing
pockets of methane to build rapidly and setting the stage for a second
blast. Surviving miners say they should have been alerted to the
danger and evacuated immediately.
The dispatcher "told us five different things," said miner Ricky Rose.
Unaware that there had been an explosion, some miners were "on a
suicide mission, that's my opinion," he said. "
+---------------------------------------------------------+
Google Search Terms :
"jim walter" OR "blue creek" accident or disaster fault OR blame
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=%22jim+walter%22+OR+%22blue+creek%22+accident+or+disaster+fault+OR+blame
Thanks for the tip!
kyrie26-ga
|
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