Utah mine owner Murray -(R) "NOTORIOUS" for safety violations

[Bluebear]

....Robert Murray, who also owns Maple Creek Mining Inc. and UMCO High Quality Mine in Washington County,(PA) fired an employee who was arrested in 2005 for lying to the state to win approval of a mining permit. His company has been fined over the death of a miner and received more than 500 federal citations over the course of a year, some of which involved serious safety problems.

"It's ugly," said state Rep. Peter J. Daley, D-California, a member of the House Coal Caucus. "He's notorious for his problems here."

Maple Creek Mine closed in 2004 when its coal reserves in the Fallowfield Township area were depleted.

The company also had been developing the adjoining High Quality Mine, only to close it in November 2004 after the state Department of Environmental Protection rejected its application for a longwall mining permit. Its application was denied because another section of the mine had destroyed a stream. The company appealed the matter to Commonwealth Court after losing its case before the Environmental Hearing Board in March.

The DEP had forced Maple Creek Mine to close for a short time in 2004 because the roof was sagging at the mine entrance. Also that year, the agency appealed to Commonwealth Court to force Murray to come up with a mandatory emergency plan for a "high hazard" dam at the mine's slurry pond....

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/08_08_Bob_Murray_in_Pennsylvania

[tekisui]

1. And "retreat mining", the probable cause of this disaster

"Despite Bob Murray's loud denials, his company is on record with the Utah Geological Survey that removing pillar supports has been going on in his Crandall Canyon mine since 2005 - under the former owners as well as under Murray.

"Tuesday evening, Murray again said an earthquake was to blame for the collapse. But Rafael Abreu, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center in Colorado, said a seismic event recorded at 2:48 a.m. was a mine collapse, not an earthquake."

more: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6570329

[alstephenson]

2. EARTHQUAKE or NOT???

I heard that yesterday Murray halted rescue/recovery efforts due to another "earthquake". But the geologists say no earthquakes, seismic activity caused by mine collapse(s). What's the deal? Now he's saying it may take a week to reach the miners. What the hell is going on here? Is the guy just clueless and shoveling bullshit as fast as he can? WTF?

[Bluebear]

3. He's not clueless, he's trying to cover his own pathetic Republican ass. nt

[Bitwit1234]

4. The University of Utah says NO earthquake cause the cave in that

the cave in caused the seismic action on the meters.