Just under one third of the 44 citations issued to the three Utah mines were deemed "significant and substantial," an elevated level of severity that indicates an inspector believes a cited hazard could result in a reasonably serious injury or illness. But only one was an even more serious "order," which can result in the withdrawal of all miners from underground until a problem is corrected.

Nationally, the inspections carried out April 19-23 resulted in MSHA shutting down six Kentucky coal mines for numerous citations and orders. The U.S. Department of Labor, MSHA's parent agency, also is suing two of those mines for allegedly trying to undermine the inspections by illegally providing advance notice to workers of an inspector's presence in the mine.

Overall, MSHA issued 1,454 citations and orders in its blitz. Of those, 623 were considered significant and substantial, or roughly 42.8 percent.

Violations cited in Utah included:

» 22 at West Ridge mine in Carbon County (six were S&S);

» 19 at Horizon mine in Carbon County (seven were S&S);

» And, three at Bear Canyon #4 mine in Emery County (one was S&S).

The lone order involved the Horizon mine, which is owned by Salt Lake City-based
America West Resources Inc. It involved an alleged failure to properly conduct a pre-shift examination in one part of the mine. Horizon's other S&S citations involved water-spraying systems, lack of proper guards on mechanical equipment, location of automatic fire sensors and warning-device systems, installation of high-voltage transmission equipment and accumulations of combustible coal dust.

West Ridge, which is operated by Murray Energy Corp. subsidiary West Ridge Resources Inc., received S&S citations for the conditions of firefighting equipment, methane levels in tunnels carrying air contaminated by the mining process out of the mine, insulation around power wires and cables, maintenance around conveyor belts that remove cut coal from the mine and splices in cables behind machinery.

Essentially idle since a bankruptcy declaration by its parent company, the Kingston family-owned C.W. Mining Co., Bear Canyon #4 mine received an S&S citation for not keeping a "bleeder" tunnel, critical to a mine's ventilation system, open from one end to the other so that air-quality checks can be conducted.

Requests for a response to MSHA's citations were not answered by America West, Murray Energy or the U.S. Bankruptcy Court trustee, Kenneth Rushton, now overseeing Bear Canyon.

The six Kentucky mines where production was halted were hit with 238 citations, 55 orders and one "safeguard," a citation that applies specifically to haulage.

"After last month's tragic reminder of the consequences of failing to make safety a priority, it is appalling that these operations continued to flout fundamental safety and health standards," said MSHA boss Joe Main.

"Mine operators have a responsibility to provide for the safety and health of the miners they employ," he added. "Too many of the mines we inspected are failing to take that responsibility seriously."

mikeg@sltrib.com

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