EKB News

WEST VIRGINIA....
As the investigation into the cause of the Upper Big Branch mine explosion continued this week, a federal official says a 36-foot long crack in the mine floor didn't contribute to the blast. That's contrary to a Massey Energy claim that the crack may have caused the disaster. Massey board member Bobby Inman says MSHA is interested in protecting its own theories and not about letting the facts tell the story. MSHA's Kevin Stricklin says a geologist found the crack does not lead to a coal seam and is not venting methane. Massey argues the crack could have allowed a sudden flood of methane gas into the mine on April 5th, but Stricklin says the victims' families shouldn't believe that. Stricklin says if other mandatory safety measures were in place, an outburst of methane would not result in a massive explosion. But Massey contends that with the investigation still going on and about half of the mine still to be checked, drawing any conclusion about the cause...or ruling anything out...is premature.