Robot To Assist In Desperate Utah Search

As Workers At 2 Other Mines Owned By Same Company Reportedly Mull Offers To Work In Ohio, Illinois

(CBS/AP)  Families of six miners trapped since an August 6th collapse at the Crandall Canyon coal mine near Huntington, Utah, got some relief Sunday with news that a seventh hole is being drilled into the mountain and a camera-equipped robot has been flown to the scene to help find the men.

The camera is similar to one used to search within the wreckage of the World Trade Center in New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Officials say it can take images in the darkened cavern from about 50 feet away with the help of a 200-watt light, can travel 1,000 feet from the end of the test hole and has some ability to move around the rubble.

"We're very excited about it. The families are thrilled to hear this," said Colin King, a lawyer for the miners' families.

Robin Murphy, director of the Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technology at the University of South Florida, said her camera's chance of obtaining images of the trapped miners is a long shot. She said it was not clear whether the camera would fit all the way down the hole and into the mine, and that debris in the shaft could obscure any images.

"There's mud, there's rocks, there's things that make it unfavorable," Murphy said.

Also Sunday, the CEO of the company that operates the mine - Murray Energy, one of the largest privately owned mining companies in the U.S. - said the company is taking a second look at safety in one of its other Utah mines.

Bob Murray says Murray Energy is temporarily closing the Tower mine, to make safety upgrades, and in order to avoid layoffs, is offering jobs in Ohio and Illinois to miners from both the Tower and the West Ridge coal mines, another Murray Energy coal mine in Utah.

"This thing in Crandall Canyon is unprecedented," Murray told the Deseret Morning News, in Salt Lake City. "I ask myself 'What if that did occur at one of the other mines?' and I came up with the answer: I want more opinions and I want more modifications to the equipment."

Murray says the temporary shutdown affects 170 miners, who have until noon Monday to decide whether to take the jobs out-of-state. The newspaper says the miners would work for three weeks at the out-of-state jobs, with transportation, board, and utilities paid by Murray Energy. After three weeks, they'd be flown home to their families.

"If they choose this, there will be no one laid off and no one will miss a paycheck," says Murray.

Murray says he told the miners he expects the studies to take about a month but has warned them that it could take longer.

[gkc99]

So let''s see the earnings statements of Murray Mining and of Mr. Murray--how much has he squirreled away while sending miners into unsafe mines? How much did he and his company contribute to various political candidates? What have the "fines" been for mining safety violations in his various operations? Who was paid to look the other way?

[mainemade]

For some reason, not known to man, that mountain has taken those men and she is NOT going to give them up without a fight. And so far, she is winning.

[michellem99-2009]

Dears, they are dead...yet those words hurt..But..So true..I am so sorry..I wish they were still there with you...Will their bodies ever be found, will something be learnt from their deaths to help other miners and the owners to be safer and have tools needed for that safety and well being as long they have to sent in mines .

[susanhelit]

3 rescuers dead, and the families say they don''t know why more isn''t being done? I know they''re hurting, but they need to face reality before more are killed looking for corpses - most likely completely unrecoverable corpses.

They''re not the only people in the world who have lost loved ones - time to accept that it has happened, and grieve.

[gkc99]

"will something be learnt from their deaths to help other miners and the owners to be safer and have tools needed for that safety and well being as long they have to sent in mines . "
Posted by MichelleM99

How about: don''t let neocon crooks gut the regulatory agencies that enforce safety rules by Bushit putting a man completely associated with mine owners to regulate them, at the same time sending the message that regulation is a bad thing?

Maybe adequate enforcement of existing rules would have saved these people.

And while we''re at it, how about a look at the profit sheet and political payoffs made by Murray Mining?

[ginette_mise]

god be with you all,it''s a god damnsin,this company had loads of money but coulnd spend it on making the workplace safe.if it is found to be the owner''s fault,get even in every way

[annd2302]

When miners accept employment with mining companies do they sign any documents regarding their safety, health, wages, etc? Just where does cave-ins fall within the miners contracts, or do they?

President Bush has his fingers in other business, where does his involvement start here, again or does it? Black lung disease, has that issue been eradicated?

[nothappyatall]

Sigh... this just keeps going on and on and on- accept REALITY; the 6 men are DEAD, they were almost certainly killed in the original cave in, no signs of life, 6 holes find zippo and it''s been almost 3 weeks.
Time to move on.

[godseyesore-2009]

How about putting the owners and foremen into the shaft prior to sealing it?

[rpgivpgmr]

I believe Mr. Murray has done everything he could do given the horrific event and impossible circumstances and much more than most CEOs would ever have done. And he isn''t even finished DOING.

Fact is, if you speak with anyone who has been a mining inspector for the MSHA you will find that we have been extremely lucky in NOT having such disasters already. Anyone thinking otherwise is one of us, uninformed of the real mining world.
We are too dependent (e.g. we use too much) on coal to be able to change our safety regulations in order to make a more safe mining environment across the board.

The only real fault I can find is the lack of communication gear, and it wasn''t until after Katrina that the government agencies updated theirs. I don''t think private industry has addressed that yet.

There just is no total safe work environment in mining, heavy industry, on the Space Shuttle, or in the Military where you can''t get hurt or killed by an accident. Plus, there could always have been human error at work here. Until the cause of this disaster can be determined, we will never know why it happened.

May God Bless all involved with this terrible incident in any way.

[juli28428]

"For some reason, not known to man, that mountain has taken those men and she is NOT going to give them up without a fight. And so far, she is winning."

Sadly I agree with mainemade --- it''s almost eerie.

I sympathize so much with the families. How horrible, how terribly horrible, it must be wondering if their loved ones are alive inside the mountain and waiting for help to arrive. If they are not found, dead or alive, it is a nightmare those families will have to live with forever. May God bless them and give them peace.

[wonderyman-2009]

Remove 1, 10 or 50 bricks from the ground floor wall of a 10 story building - not much happens.
Continue to remove bricks, and at some point the building comes down.
Mountain "bursts" - rock shooting out of the sides of mine shafts - are proof the foundation of the mountain has been depleted from "over-mining".

[stephengosson]

If it was known that the miners were trained to move to the kitchen area in an event such as this, why didn''t they begin drilling there on day one, post-haste??
Or, at least, simultaneous drilling there while their first drill followed the direction that they believed was correct.
That''s a minor fact in the story that BEGS for further elaboration!!

[edward1975-2009]

It is most certainly a recovery mission at this point. The time is fast approaching when the task at hand will be to say good-bye to these men and to bring closure to the families. May they find peace in their faith and may these miners rest in peace.

[grammawhamma]

I feel for the families of the missing miners but no more lives need to be lost to this disaster to bring out bodies. It is time to mourn, hold funerals and put up headstones of those lost in the mine on the mountain...their final resting place. Rest in peace. Amen.

[bajamber]

My heart goes out to the families of the trapped miners; and I feel that every effort needs to be made to find out if they are still alive. However, if they are not, then I don''t feel it is worth any more lives to bring the bodies out.

A lot of blame has been laid at Murray''s doorstep and the mining industry. When miner''s go into a mine, they know the hazards and perils they face. If the miners and their families did not feel the mine was safe, why weren''t all of those issues brought up before they went in? It''s easy for all of us to sit back and judge what went on, but the ultimate responsibility for one''s safety and well being belongs to each individual.

[annia1233]

I also thought why they did not start drilling at the kitchen area in the first place if they knew the miners were trained to move there in emergencies.
Then i recounted the news and realized the collapse was fast, they heard the miners in one point of the mine and then the collapse. the most logical move is to drill the place where they were heard last or the place they thought they may be, not the kitchen, they probably had no time to run, they probably are below all the ruble. Poor miners, poor family. Gd help them on this hour to accept they are gone and will never come back.

[brianbwb-2009]

Bajamber,

You bring up a good point, but history has shown that to bring up issues that would dent the business owners'' profits can be fatal to your job, if not your person, and mine safety has been among the most notorious ever since the days when they used children as miners.

For more evidence, see the articles on those who blew whistles on the corruption of the Iraq war budget, some were even tortured.

[incog-nito]

They''re dead, buried. Bringing them up to rebury them again serves no purpose.

[my48p]

I would like to know why wait till now to drill a hole in the kitchen area of the mine.If the crews are told to go their if thier is a problem (shouldent that hole have been drilled sonner?)

[usawarrior]

incog-nito is right on the money. "They are dead, buried. Bringing them up to rebury them again serves no purpose." Some things we should think with the heart, but at times we need to think with the mind. The miners are dead... let them rest in peace right where they are. To risk more lives trying to do the obviously impossible (rescue that is) is passionately insane and serves no purpose. Let%u2019s remember the ballad of %u201CBig John%u201D.

[usawarrior]

incog-nito is right on the money. "They are dead, buried. Bringing them up to rebury them again serves no purpose." Some things we should think with the heart, but at times we need to think with the mind. The miners are dead... let them rest in peace right where they are. To risk more lives trying to do the obviously impossible (rescue that is) is passionately insane and serves no purpose. Let%u2019s remember the ballad of %u201CBig John%u201D.