Report: Lightning Caused Sago Mine Blast

But Several Victims' Relatives Aren't Buying Government's Theory For Deadly Explosion

(AP)  Two simultaneous lightning bolts likely caused an electrical current in a cable left deep inside the Sago Mine and touched off the methane blast blamed for the deaths of 12 coal miners last year, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday.

Lightning is one of three "root causes" the agency cites in its long-awaited investigation into the Jan. 2, 2006, explosion at the International Coal Group Inc. mine in central West Virginia.

The report is the first time a conduit for the electrical charge has been mentioned. Electrical currents from a lightning strike could have traveled through the earth to the underground cable, which functioned like an antenna, the report said.

Previous reports by the company and the state pinpointed lightning as the cause but did not mention the route the charge took into the mine.

Also contributing to the blast: gas levels inside the sealed section of the mine were not monitored and seals used to close off the inactive section from the working mine were not strong enough to withstand the force of the blast, according to a copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press.

The relatives of several of the Sago victims bashed the report and its findings.

"It's going to make a difference on paper, but it's not going to make a difference to the miners who risk their lives every day trying to support their families," said Pam Campbell, whose brother-in-law Marty Bennett died. "I think an accident will happen again, and I think the same issues will come up."

The explosion trapped a team of miners deep inside as they were preparing to resume production after the New Year's holiday. By the time searchers reached them about 40 hours later, only one man had survived in the carbon monoxide gas. Officials originally said fire boss Terry Helms died in the initial blast, but the report said Helms also died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

It was the highest-profile coal mining accident in recent U.S. history and led to sweeping changes in federal and state mine safety law. The company idled the Sago Mine in March because of high production costs and low coal prices.

MSHA issued 32 violations against ICG, but none were found to have caused the accident or contributed to its severity.

"How can they not be responsible," Campbell said of the violations against ICG.

At the time of the explosion, federal regulations said mine seals had to withstand explosive forces of up to 20 pounds per square inch. MSHA has since changed the requirement to 50 psi. The report said the blast created forces of more than 93 psi.

Lightning has been considered the prime source of the explosion since ICG released its findings in March 2006. The state Miners' Health Safety and Training issued a report earlier this year that upheld that finding.

Ira Gamm, a spokesman for Scott Depot-based ICG, declined comment because he had not yet seen the latest report.

The United Mine Workers union, which participated in the state and federal investigation, issued its own report, offered a dissenting viewpoint: Its experts believe the spark came from friction in the mine's deteriorating rock roof and the metal support system used to hold it up.

The mine is nonunion.

[yo_marc]

Some of you make me laugh. :)

Lightning can do very very strange things. Our house is built in a rural, very rocky section of New England. We get hit with some pretty good thunderstorms in the summer months. For the first few years, many nearby strikes would cause our phone to ring just once. For whatever reason, that stopped now. We've witnessed a few actual 'close' strikes arc electricity between pipes in the basement. (Yeah, it's a scary thing).

My neighbor and I got a minor shock swimming in a nearby lake - a thunderstorm had passed through, it was -miles- away and the sun was out again.

'Metal' is much more conductive than just 'ground'. Electricity finds the path of least resistance. If lightning strikes the ground, it's going to search for the path of least resistance until all of it's energy is used up. A long underground cable is a near perfect positive or negative 'terminal' in our lightning-circuit here.

[jdubs63]

yeah I really believe this

[heresmy2cent]

The UMW needs to stage a wildcat strike over the crock of h*o*r*s*e*s*h*i*t and bring the energy companies to their knees and show them who has the real power.

This is the federal gov't looking out for the interests of big coal.

I'd like to see some of the gov't pantywaists risk their lives and go down into a coal mine. Of course that'll never happen as long as there is an endless supply of money that can be stolen from the taxpaying public.

[comfortmd1]

cra p, so it really DID get posted.... oh well......

[comfortmd1]

as long as 1 bullet can strike Pres. Kennedy 6 times or so, exiting and re-entering as needed, i guess lightning can root around underground until it happens to find an unventilated section of mine shaft...

bs

just another way for bush to excuse another campaign contributor

the BEST government money can buy!

[comfortmd1]

well, as long as 1 bullet can strike Pres. Kennedy 6 times, exiting and re-entering as needed, lightning can root around underground until it finds a section of illegally ventilated mine shaft.

anything for the bush administration to excuse a loyal campaign contributor.

the best government industry can BUY!

[chefrc]

Impossible !!!! Do some research on lightning, It never travels into the ground at least not for any distance. When lightning hits the ground it travels across the ground in a large circle. and you can be killed inside this circle if conditions are right

[terrapin78]

I would not believe ANYTHING out of these liars (any and all Bush Administration reports, we know they can't accept sound science).

NOT ONE WORD. THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CHANGE THE WORDS TO SUIT THEIR IDEOLOGY. SCIENCE BE DAMMED!