Quecreek Mine Probe Pushed – investigation of Black Wolf Coal is sought by US Senator – Brief Article
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., wants the U.S. attorney in western Pennsylvania to determine whether mine operators violated federal law that contributed to the Quecreek inundation. Specter made the request in a letter to U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan after a Senate subcommittee hearing on the accident. “During the course of the hearing, we heard testimony indicating that certain federal mine regulations may have been violated,” Specter said.
Miners testified that crew leader Randy Fogle told them he had called the mine’s condition to the attention of Black Wolf Coal Co. officials twice before the accident. They were told that the mine was damp and getting wetter.
Specter also told Labor Secretary Elaine Chao that he questioned procedures used by the Labor Department to investigate the accident, particularly why an attorney for Black Wolf was present while miners were questioned by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The senator said he had been told that an attorney for one of the miners was barred for an hour from an interview with MSHA and an attorney for Black Wolf, although the miners had been told that they could have legal counsel present. “This apparent disparate treatment of the miners and the coal company raises substantial questions about the fairness and impartiality of the investigation,” Specter said.
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