Vol. 71/No. 35      September 24, 2007

Brent Reynolds, 35, of Virgie, Kentucky, was operating a continuous mining machine when the collapse killed him, said C.A. Phillips, deputy director of the West Virginia Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training.

There have been eight reported serious roof falls at the mine so far this year. The mine is owned by Pittsburgh-based CONSOL Energy through its subsidiary CONSOL of Kentucky, Inc.

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) records show that MSHA inspectors have not completed or even started one of the federally mandated “Regular Safety and Health Inspections” this year. Instead, inspectors have conducted three “Spot Inspections,” which take half the time underground of a full inspection.

Three roof collapses reportedly happened in one day, July 23. Two of those falls happened in consecutive areas along the intake entry, where fresh air is brought into the working areas of the mine. None of the eight falls were reported to be cleaned up. None of the roof collapses are cited in MSHA’s spot inspections.

The Bronzite mine has a workforce of 32, and last year mined 276,000 tons of coal—a small operation.

Four miners have been killed on the job in West Virginia this year, and 71 nationwide since the Sago Mine disaster in January 2006.
 
 
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