MSHA: West Virginia Mine’s Ventilation Plans Were a Hazard

Federal regulators issued 196 citations during February impact inspections at 14 U.S. mines, including a southern West Virginia coal mine that was targeted for its ventilation plans.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday that it wrote 16 violations at Coal River Mining’s Fork Creek No. 1 Mine in Boone County in the first impact inspection it’s done there.

MSHA chief Joe Main says inspectors found multiple violations of ventilation regulations and inoperable water sprayers on one of the continuous mining machines. In some places, ventilation curtains were either rolled up or missing.

Failure to maintain proper air flow exposes miners to more of the coal dust that causes black lung disease and increases the risk of explosions.

Main says the conditions showed a complete disregard for worker safety.