MN_A_8_A8_LA_1_08-07-07_tu_2_CMYK 2007:08:06:23:30:19_

A8 TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2007 , LOS ANGELES TIMES

THE NATION Desperate effort to aid miners

A predawn collapse Trapped underground

trapped 6 men 1,500 Hundreds of rescuers dug through a collapsed underground shaft Monday in an attempt to rescue six feet underground in a miners trapped in a Utah coal mine. Here’s an approximate boundary of the Crandall Canyon Mine:

Utah coal mine. Provo 191 Detailed NEV. By Ashley Powers UTAH CALIF. and Janet Wilson Price Times Staff Writers Huntington Electric Lake UTAH Reservoir 6 huntington, utah — Res- cuers drilled and smashed Cleveland through solid rock Monday in an Reservoir Miners attempt to reach six coal miners trapped 31 Huntington trapped deep underground by a Miller Flat 10 15 MILES massive predawn cave-in. Reservoir 29 Searchers said they were within 1,700 feet of the miners but their initial approach failed. Workers could not contact the miners. Authorities were uncer- tain whether the men were still Miners trapped 1,500 Mine entrance alive. feet below ground A top mining company official said the collapse was caused by 31 an earthquake, but seismolo- gists said they suspected the re- Main shaft verse. Company officials and hun- Rescuers dig dreds of workers at the Crandall through cave-in Canyon Mine — 140 miles south of Salt Lake City — focused on trying to reach the six men, who were believed to be about 1,500 feet below the surface and 3.4 miles from the mine entrance. Mine rescue teams from around Utah were arriving Mon- day night as other miners, ex- Digital image from Google Earth hausted and covered in black Retreat mining dust, promised to return after a The miners may have been using a technique called retreat mining, which involves gleaning the coal in few hours’ sleep. The rescue ef- pillars that had been left standing to support the mine’s ceiling. How it’s done: fort was to continue overnight. The identities of the miners 1 After coal pillars are mined, 2 Process is repeated as 3 Coal is transported to surface were not released. ceiling is allowed to fall. miners retreat. via uncollapsed mineshafts. About two dozen family mem- bers were in a one-story brick Mine ceiling senior center guarded by sher- iff’s deputies. The relatives, Mined Intact many of them red-eyed, sat on coal pillar coal pillar To couches and nibbled snacks as Fallen mine ceiling surface the sun began to set in this arid patch of desert that makes up central Utah. Mining officials de- livered regular updates. Diagram is schematic “There’s nothing on my mind Danny Chan La Salt Lake Tribune right now but getting those min- FEARING THE WORST: An unidentified woman makes a call Sources: ESRI, TeleAtlas, Murray Energy Corp., Associated Press Graphics reporting by Brady MacDonald, Mark Hafer, Matt Moody ers out,” said Robert E. Murray, outside the site where miners’ relatives gathered to await news. Raoul Rañoa, Mark Hafer Los Angeles Times chairman of Murray Energy Corp. of Cleveland, part owner of the mine. “All that is humanly machinery to break through and too few mine rescue teams. something you wouldn’t wish on in dispute Monday. in which columns of coal hold up possible is being done to gain ac- solid rock. Murray said he was Mine owners have paid more your worst enemy.” Murray insisted that a 3.9- the ceiling. Once an area has cess to these trapped miners,” hoping rescuers could find an old than $150,000 in penalties. For much of Monday, towns- magnitude earthquake a mile been mined, the columns are said Murray, who flew to the mining shaft that would allow Bruce Dial, who was a mining people wandered in and out of from the mine had caused the mined too, then intentionally mine within hours of the acci- them to get within 100 feet of the inspector for 24 years and is now the Huntington diner trading collapse. collapsed, closing off that section dent. miners. a consultant based in North news and consoling one another. “Our active mining did not as the miners retreat. It might take several days to “The idea is to get a hole into Carolina, said most of this year’s Mining, of course, has always cause this earthquake a mile But the company began using reach the men, who could have where they are,” Murray said. citations were for minor infrac- been a dangerous occupation. away,” he said. “How could our a more modern technique in the enough oxygen and water to sur- “They could be in a chamber tions. The mine, Dial said, had “a This year, 30 miners — 10 of them active mining a mile away cause mid-1990s. vive, Murray said. Four other 1,000 feet long or they could be better safety record than many coal miners — have been killed in an earthquake to happen a mile It’s unclear whether retreat miners escaped. dead.” others.” the United States, according to away?” mining is still used in some parts The mining company re- The Crandall Canyon Mine, in Murray said the mine had not the federal Mine Safety and Seismologists at the Univer- of the mine. cruited about 200 employees to Emery County, burrows deep had a serious accident in more Health Administration. sity of Utah detected the quake Utah was the 12th-largest join the rescue effort. A com- into a mountain in the Manti-La than two decades. But the Mine rescue operations face about 2:40 a.m. and said data producer of coal in the United mand center was set up in Hun- Sal National Forest, a sparsely county is still haunted by a 1984 the same perils. they had collected so far indi- States last year, and Emery tington, a rural town of 2,000 populated area. The mine en- fire that killed 27 in the nearby “You don’t want to make the cated the cave-in probably County ranked second in the about 15 miles from the mine en- trance is large enough to accom- Wilberg mine. situation worse,” said John Baza, caused the tremors. Mine cave- state in coal production. trance. Rescuers divided into modate trucks that transport Percy Mounteer, 55, is a for- director of the Utah Division of ins have caused similar seismic four teams, each taking a differ- workers into the tunnels. mer miner and the owner of a Oil, Gas and Mining. Boring or waves in the West. But they said [email protected] ent route to where the trapped Federal safety inspectors popular hangout, the Star Grill. blasting through rock, if done in they could reach a definitive con- [email protected] workers were believed to be. have issued more than 320 cita- He was the radio dispatcher in the wrong place or time, could clusion until all the evidence had Powers reported from Utah, Murray said some rescuers tions to the mine since January the 1984 fire. kill trapped miners. Baza char- been assessed, especially data Wilson from Los Angeles. Times were drilling vertically from the 2004, including more than two “If you can imagine what it’s acterized rescues as “incredibly from within the mine. staff writers Lynn Marshall and top of the mountain while others dozen this year. The citations in- like down there, like a lot of us, complex.” The company has long used a Tomas Alex Tizon contributed to moved horizontally, using heavy cluded inadequate ventilation it’s even scarier,” he said. “It’s The cause of the cave-in was method called “retreat mining,” this report. Democrats content to let Gonzales twist in wind

til Bush leaves office, strategists gress on the fired U.S. attorneys A third option involves a pro- back to government, the public’s If he remains in office, hope his continued presence and on Bush’s post-9/11 elec- ceeding known as inherent con- confidence in us will continue to damages GOP candidates tronic surveillance program. tempt, in which the House would grow, as will the chorus of lead- they expect voters will across the country. The House Judiciary Com- hold a mini-trial along the lines ing conservative voices such as “This becomes a piece of the mittee has recommended that of an impeachment. The last William F. Buckley and Bob focus on Bush, not the race,” said David E. Bonior, a for- the Justice Department bring time that was tried: 1935. Novak saying that Republicans 2008 GOP nominee. mer Michigan congressman who contempt charges against two Administration officials have are headed for electoral disaster is managing Democrat John Ed- senior White House aides — for- shown no signs of backing down in 2008,” Van Hollen wrote, in- wards’ presidential campaign. mer counsel Harriet E. Miers in their defense of Gonzales, a voking two well-known conser- By Peter Wallsten By highlighting Bush’s alle- and current chief of staff Joshua longtime friend of Bush and a fel- vative columnists. and Richard B. Schmitt giance to Gonzales, Democrats B. Bolten — who have refused to low Texan. When voters go to the polls Times Staff Writers hope to make a point about how testify or produce documents White House spokesman next year, Democrats want them a Democratic administration about the prosecutors’ firings. Tony Snow last week dismissed to be thinking about Bush, even washington — Democrats are would be different, drawing “the Democrats say they want to find the Democrats’ intensifying as- though he won’t be on the ballot. not winning the battle to force contrast of what we have and out who ordered the firings and saults as a “race to be most Jim Jordan, an advisor to the Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales what we could have,” Bonior why. toxic” and “designed to turn up presidential campaign of Sen. from office, stymied by a legal said. Charles Dharapak Associated Press Karl Rove, the president’s top the temperature rather than to Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), system that gives the Bush ad- Gonzales has come under fire ALBERTO R. GONZALES political advisor, last week re- turn on the light.” said the historic correlation is ministration wide discretion to for his shifting explanations The attorney general has fused to honor a subpoena to tes- Vice President Dick Cheney, “almost absolute” between the block investigations of itself. And about his role in the politically altered explanations about his tify before the Senate Judiciary on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” ac- ratings of an outgoing president they are not getting the White charged firing last year of eight role in prosecutors’ firings. Committee about his involve- cused Democrats of conducting and the ability of his party’s next House witnesses or records they U.S. attorneys, and for his testi- ment in the firings. “a bit of a witch hunt on Capitol presidential nominee to win the have demanded in recent weeks. mony about an electronic sur- can Sen. Pete V. Domenici, who But even left-leaning scholars Hill, as they keep rolling over general election. But many Democrats are fine veillance program that Bush Democrats have said helped en- say the Democrats are unlikely rocks hoping they can find some- The Democrats’ increasing with that. launched after the 9/11 attacks. gineer the prosecutor’s firing. to succeed on the legal front. thing.” aggressiveness against Gonza- Although they may prove In that case, his statements have In the Democratic presiden- For instance, the Justice De- But Democrats say the con- les, he said, is “part of building fruitless, the Democrats’ investi- appeared to contradict testi- tial primary, the Edwards camp partment already has put Con- troversy plays directly into their and maintaining the broader po- gative efforts may help keep mony from the FBI director. has seized on the controversy gress on notice that it won’t hands as they attempt to frame litical atmosphere.” President Bush and his adminis- Democrats are already eyeing most directly, distributing a bring charges if the full House 2008, like their takeover of Con- tration the center of attention in potential gains from the contro- fundraising appeal last week de- asks the department to pros- gress last year, as a “change elec- Times staff writer Claudia next year’s elections, even as the versy in at least one battle- scribing the attorney general as ecute Miers and Bolten for con- tion.” Lauer contributed to this report. Republican Party chooses a new ground state, New Mexico, home “the man who helped enable tor- tempt. Legal experts say the fed- That was the thrust of talking [email protected] standard-bearer and tries to to one of the U.S. attorneys ture at Abu Ghraib, Guanta- eral law making contempt of points distributed recently to [email protected] move on. whose firings sparked the con- namo, and illegal spying on Congress a crime is unenforce- House members by Rep. Chris With Congress beginning a gressional inquiries. Americans.” The e-mail also able against executive branch of- Van Hollen of Maryland, chair- monthlong summer recess last The party recently aired a ra- sought 25,000 names for an anti- ficials who, at the behest of the man of the Democratic Congres- weekend — and with Gonzales dio ad linking a vulnerable Re- Gonzales petition, to be deliv- president, invoke executive privi- sional Campaign Committee. The next debate still entrenched at the Justice publican congresswoman there, ered to his office with an oversize lege in refusing to testify. The memo did not directly ad- Department — the focus is turn- Heather A. Wilson, to the contro- copy of the Constitution. The House is considering dress the U.S. attorneys’ episode Democratic contenders ing to the candidates and their versy. On Capitol Hill, Democrats bringing a civil action in federal or Gonzales. But it argued re- will attend the AFL-CIO Presi- opinions of Gonzales’ tenure. And one of the sponsors of a are growing more aggressive. court against the officials, but le- peatedly that next year’s cam- dential Candidates Forum at Lawmakers also will hear what new resolution pushing for Gon- Four senators recently called gal experts believe that a court paigns “must be about change Soldier Field in Chicago today. constituents make of the attor- zales’ impeachment, Rep. Tom for a special prosecutor to inves- would not entertain such a suit and accountability.” The event will be broadcast ney general’s performance. Udall (D-N.M.), is considering a tigate Gonzales for possible per- without a specific statute au- “As we show Americans that from 4 to 5:30 p.m. PDT on Even if Gonzales survives un- run for the seat held by Republi- jury in his testimony before Con- thorizing it. we are bringing accountability MSNBC.