Consol Cited in Fatal West Virginia Mine Accident

Coal operator Consol Energy has been cited for a safety violation that federal investigators say contributed to the death of a 35-year-old worker at a West Virginia mine.

A federal Mine Safety and Health Administration report issued March 7, says Consol failed to follow the roof-control plan at its Bronzite Mine in West Virginia’s Mingo County. Continuous mining machine operator Brent Reynolds was killed when a portion of the mine’s roof collapsed and struck him Sept. 3, 2007.

MSHA’s report says Consol installed 4-foot-long roof bolts that weren’t long enough to penetrate stable rock above the mine’s top. In some places, MSHA says the bolts penetrated just 1 inch into solid material.

A Consol spokesman didn’t immediately return a call last week.