Virginia Division of Mines chief inspector Frank Linkous said that 13 individuals had been interviewed as part of the investigation the state agency is conducting in conjunction with the US Mine Safety and Health Administration. It will return to follow up with some of those workers as a full review of the event is performed.
He also said the direct cause of the rib roll at the No. 2 mine on August 20, which took the life of 58-year-old Wayne Parrott, was known – rock left behind after crews cut away at the rib for a new beltline was weak in the area, and consequently fell because of some sloughing.
While Parrott was in the area to place supports, none of the other workers in the section at the time actually witnessed the accident, thus it may never be known if he was actually performing the duty at the time.
Regardless, Linkous told ILN that the agency met with officials for the owner, Cumberland Resources, Thursday and that the mine would remain idle until the operator could amend and receive approval on its roof control plan. He estimated that could possibly be seen by the end of the week.
As part of the orders to Cumberland, state officials require additional control measures in the plan that specifically outline bracket installations as well as rib belting in certain areas.
“We have a roof specialist up there today looking at the concept support technology we want to consider to provide additional safety measures,” Linkous noted to local media this week.
“We want to be in a position to know we did all we can to prevent a similar occurrence from happening, about how we deal with that particular hazard and do it with technology to provide more protection.”
While there will certainly be citations handed down in the incident, Linkous declined to elaborate or speculate on MSHA’s plans for citations. He did note, however, that state inspectors had so far seen nothing reckless or willful that would be cause for litigation related to the mine’s processes.
“We will have citations, I will say that,” he told local newspaper the Kingsport Times-News.
“Some will be associated with the accident itself, but we’re also looking at the entire mine.”
Linkous said the state’s report and that of MSHA would be independent of one another and publicly released as separate documents. It is not known when the state’s report will be completed.
Big Laurel No. 2, which produces about 3200 raw tons daily, employs 60 workers: 25 on the day shift, 16 on the second and 19 on the third.
The fatality was the first in Virginia in over a year. The state has 60 underground working sections and a total of 2743 underground miners.
