“Yesterday, the underground examination teams explored all the areas they planned to explore,” Massey said Friday, noting that an atmospheric condition examination of the head, tail and entire face of the longwall was completed – and without the need for breathing apparatuses.
The company also confirmed that teams had taken air readings, which were now being reviewed.
While Massey noted Friday that one pocket of water was being pumped from the Raleigh County mine, the Mine Safety and Health Administration confirmed that morning that water was encountered in “some locations” outby.
Investigative teams were pulled from the operation due to lightning concerns, and by 4.30pm local time had arrived at the surface while pumping by a two-member team and two-member backup continued at the mine’s 42 crosscut of the Old North Parallel mains.
By 8pm, the four individuals were ordered to exit due to more storms arriving. MSHA said air-line pumping was to continue on the weekend with teams re-entering to maintain the dewatering efforts.
The teams, which began work last week to evaluate UBB in preparation for MSHA’s investigation into the April 5 explosion which killed 29 miners, will re-enter the operation Monday for the 11th time.
State subpoenas UBB witnesses
In related explosion news, state officials in West Virginia said they had subpoenaed five individuals in May as part of its investigation of the blast – though none showed up for their interviews.
According to West Virginia MetroNews, Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training director Ron Wooten said the state did have subpoena power, unlike federal officials who could only force witnesses to appear during public hearings.
“We’re looking in every crevice, every corner,” he told the news service.
“These particular witnesses or interviewees were hourly employees at Upper Big Branch if I’m not mistaken. We just want to know what they know.”
Wooten said the subpoenaed individuals had agreed to talk with state investigators but later backed out. To date, about 80 former and current mine employees, mine rescue workers and inspectors from WVOMHST and MSHA have been interviewed.
“We know that there were some individuals [who] had reflected that there were some ventilation concerns,” Wooten told MetroNews, adding that the subpoenaed individuals were expected to arrive within the next two weeks.
Neither mine nor federal officials have confirmed the commencement date of the underground portions of the UBB investigation, which is pending the results of the current underground review at the mine. Wooten said the start of that step could occur sometime next week.
