MSHA is proposing to fine mine operator Genwal Resources Inc., owned by Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray, $1.6 million, while also fining mine engineering firm Agapito Associates Inc. $220,000 for its "flawed engineering analysis." In total, 21 citations or violations were issued — 10 of those (nine to Genwal and one to Agapito) relating directly to the accident. Those fines are subject to appeal.

Genwal attorney Kevin Anderson said Thursday that MSHA's report was tainted and lacked testimony of certain experts that could have shed more light on mining practices taking place prior to Aug. 6.

"But regrettably, this report does not have the benefit of all of the facts and appears to have been tainted in part by 10 months of relentless political clamoring to lay blame for these tragic events," Anderson said. He added how Genwal will continue its own investigation and do whatever it can to make mining safer.

Wendy Black, wife of killed rescuer Dale Black, said that what she heard in the briefing from MSHA only reinforced what she already knew about the mine plan for Crandall Canyon.

"It was flawed to begin with," Black said.

The report said the mine operator "misled" or "withheld information" from MSHA about a trio of coal bursts in March and August 2007 leaving investigators unable to get a complete picture of the overall conditions in the mine. MSHA further accuses Genwal of not revising its mining plan following the March bursts, opting rather to continue to "mine in areas with unsafe conditions."

MSHA cited three engineering analyses that said pillar stability was below recommendations, that there was a "decidedly unsafe, unstable situation in the making" and that the area of the Aug. 6 collapse was "primed for massive pillar collapse."

Said Stickler, "The mine operator failed to revise its roof control plan when conditions underground clearly indicated that the plan was not adequate."

He also said Genwal incorporated flawed design recommendations from Agapito, which failed to recommend a safe mining plan, safe barrier and pillar dimensions.

Stickler also made clear that earlier assertions made by mine co-owner Murray that the collapse was triggered by an earthquake were not accurate. "It was not — and I'll repeat — not a naturally occurring earthquake."

During the briefing for families, a lawyer representing the widow of Don Erickson, one of the six original trapped miners, asked MSHA why the mine plan was approved if MSHA knew it was flawed. "They just kind of dodged the bullet," Nelda Erickson said about the answer from MSHA officials.

Despite learning about the fines, nothing Black heard from MSHA Thursday seemed to put the blame on one person or one entity in particular, she said.