Report paints Murray as bully

Crandall Canyon Mine owner Bob Murray was a bully, and it paid dividends. Before the disasters that killed nine men at the mine, his combativeness would sometimes intimidate federal supervisors into reversing serious enforcement recommended by inspectors, documents related to the investigation say.

That is a major subplot in the piles of documents released last week by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee reporting on conditions at the mine prior to the Aug. 6 disaster that left six workers entombed. Three more died in the attempt to rescue the six miners.

"Murray Energy bullied MSHA (the Mine Safety and Health Administration) and got away with it," the Senate report concludes, commenting on documents showing, among other things, that Murray and his company would seek to have tough inspectors fired or reassigned — apparently sometimes with that desired result.

Murray Energy has denounced the report as "politically motivated, irresponsible and unjustifiable." But documents attached to it outline how federal inspectors and their bosses saw Murray as difficult and hostile. They warned each other to be wary of him. Still, they would sometimes give in to his demands to back off on enforcement. "He has gone after several (inspectors). Tell your people to be careful when dealing with him or any person associated with his operations," Bryan P. Sargeant, a veteran MSHA administrator, wrote about Murray in an 2006 e-mail to Bob Cornett, then an assistant district manager for inspections for MSHA.

"Murray can be personable until he feels that you have crossed him. He will take any statement and twist it to his advantage," Sargeant wrote. "He can become abusive if he feels that it will serve his purpose. His sole intent is to discredit the inspectors that are enforcing the law."

Documents show that MSHA inspectors in Utah immediately had problems with Murray Energy when it bought mines here.

"Bob Murray, an extremely difficult coal operator, has purchased the West Ridge Mine and their people took over yesterday. Donny (an inspector) wrote an order on their longwall for 80 damaged hydraulic hoses to be replaced, and they are alleging retaliation and have informed our FO (field office) supervisor they will work to get him removed as an inspector," wrote MSHA District 9 manager Allyn Davis in a Aug. 23, 2006 e-mail.

"I expected we would have trouble with this operator, but didn't expect it on the second day after they took over," he added. "They also told my supervisor they have been very successful at getting MSHA people removed in other districts."