WASHINGTON — A Senate Appropriations subcommittee subpoenaed Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy

WASHINGTON — A Senate Appropriations subcommittee subpoenaed Bob Murray, CEO of Murray Energy late Friday to testify at a congressional hearing on the Crandall Canyon Mine accident set for Dec. 4.

The Senate Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee initially approved the subpoena for Murray on Oct. 4, after he

failed to appear on Sept. 5 at the panel's first hearing on the accident.

"We're going to get to the bottom of what went on there," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., "Murray is an indispensable witness and candidly, he really

flouted the responsibility and authority of the United Sates Senate to have his testimony to find out what happened so we could do our utmost to prevent

future occurrences."

Specter's office said Thursday there had been no set plans on when or if the subcommittee would move ahead to actually issue to the subpoena, but a press

release issued late Friday said Murray would be issued a subpoena to testify at 10 a.m. on Dec. 4

A collapse at the Crandall Canyon mine in August trapped six miners underground and a second collapse days later killed three rescuers trying to get them out.

During the rescue effort, Murray became the predominate spokesman for the media for updates and information which lawmakers question because under law the Mine Safety and Health Administration is supposed to be in charge.

Murray Energy has said the CEO did not attend the Sept. 5 hearing because he was still handling the aftermath of the accident and working with the families of those killed.

But several family members of those who died testified before the House Education and Labor Committee in October saying at times Murray yelled at them and they did not get the respect they deserved.

Murray also opted to take members of the media into parts of the mine, which mining industry experts have criticized.

At the September hearing, Specter called Murray "a real troublemaker" because he gave out incorrect information during his long-winded press conferences.

---

E-mail: sstrunglinski@desnews.com