Reader comments
Approval of mine plans flayed

What is the average magnitude of "bumps". This one in question certainly seems within the magnitude of an earthquake or other. Soon after this tragedy happened, a small city close by also experienced seismic activity but was reported as an earthquake and it was not nearly as great in magnitude as the one reported at the mine. I am confused.

I agree with Senator Specter, Bob Murray needs to answer alot of questions and not hide from this committee. If he won't come out of hiding and face the music, he should be forced to be present. It was his mine, he sent those miners in there.

Good for congress! Yes, I am so happy that they are there watching out for us when something has happened. You know, when something has already happened. When tragedy has struck. That way they can get on TV by holding "hearings". They can look oh so concerned, question the "bad guy" and ask the oh-so-obvious questions.

It must be too much to ask for them to hold hearings before something bad happens. You know, be proactive. As it is, this just makes them look like what most of them were before they went to Congress - Ambulance Chasers.

In the early days of coal mining they did it by strip mining. I suspect one of the reasons was the deposits of coal are rather thick and very long. It was the most economical and safest way to get to the product. The environmental problem was it left a huge swath (like open pits leace a huge hole) devoid of everything which doesn't look pretty.

Well there are ways, as we have found over the years to cope with such situations. The overburden (junk soil that doesn't contain coal) could be reclaimed and put back into the strip mining area. Sure it would leave a bowl like depression. With care a stream or two can be diverted into it and eventually there's a lake.

The reclamation of old strip and open pit mines was not even considered until the latter part of the last century. But, for some reason known only to them, the environmental groups that shut down the strip mining, never picked up the banner of reclaoation on the ole mines or would allow it on new ones.

I was at the hearing yesterday, and although I agree there is more to be looked into and many more questions to be answered, it seemed Senator Specter was just trying to make Stickler look like he was lying. Specter was clearly ignorant of some of the information that he was accusing Stickler and MSHA of doing.

I like Patata Brava's comments. All politicians are nothing but a bunch of knee-jerk reactors trying to keep themselves in office. If they're so great at "oversight", why aren't they overseeing things before disasters happen?

Isn't the real word for a "bump" a "collapse?" It would make sense that when you remove material from underground something, somewhere, sometime is going to fill that void. I like the reclamation idea presented by Flayed.
As for congress coming in after the fact, I heard on KSL Tuesday night that the Republican controlled Senate denied the approval of Stickler twice, but President Bush appointed him during the recess of Congress. (In the past week we've learned what congressmen do on recess, haven't we. ;) So they were involved before things went boom.
I'm hoping the good news will be this will lead to more development of alternative energy sources. It's time to come into the 21st century.

Since the official investigation is still ongoing, how do these "experts" know the mining plan was flawed or the mine was inherently unsafe?

Other than it was owned by a evangelical Christian being mined by non-union workers, of course.

What does "flayed" mean exactly?

Grandstanding is a popular passtime for elected officials. Murray knows about grandstanding too.

Murray Energy recently purchased the mine. I wonder why the former owners sold the mine to Murray Energy. Did the previous owners know something? Did any of the mine engineers, who knew the mine well, stay to work for Murray Energy? If so did Murray Energy listen to the mine engineers who had experience with the mine? Just a few thoughts going through my head.

Flayed? What a silly word. Hey News webbies, how about a different word? Flayed is flawed. Your use of flayed is flayed. Readers "flay" News webbies for flawed flay.

I think it is something you get at a McDonalds. A fish flay sandwich. So the story is about mine food and how they should flay it so it tastes better.

Whew! Am I glad the webbies didn't flay my comment. I hate it when I'm flayed.

I am happy to see some one looking at the mine planning. These things can be avoided using the computerized mine plan

I wonder... does this investigation have ANYTHING to do with the fact this was a non-union mine? Hummm. What a thought.

No Qweenum, it has to do with the fact that there were nine lives lost in that mine. Save the anti-union spin for election time.

Back in Washington and here in Utah, there has been a lot of attention focused on Bob Murray (his mine plan was bad, he didn't inform the families enough, he needs to bring closure to this thing, etc).

I would like to point out that Bill Murray's company is just a "CO-owner" of the Crandall Cayon Mine. He owns 50%. Does anyone remember who owns the other 50%?

The answer is, Rocky Mountain Power.

Has anyone heard Rocky Mountain Power being flayed by the politicians or the media? They had to sign off on the mining plan too, they should have been involved in the rescue efforts and keeping the families and the media just like Murray. Has anyone ever heard Gov. Huntsman, the media or bloggers contributing to this converstation b-rating Rocky Mountain Power?

Has anyone ever wondered why RMPs ownership and roll in the incident is never mentioned and people just go after Bob Murray?

I think the investigations are a result of both, - because there are 9 miners lost and missing, and also due to the fact it is not a unionized mine.

Murray has major blood on his hands. From the day the accident occured, Murray was trying to spin some "earthquake" story and made certain all the national media focusd on the fact that an earthquake caused the disaster. Even after the U Of U scientists made clear that there was no earth quake, Murray kept beating the same drum as if he wanted to quickly cover this whole thing as an act of God and bury it. The real truth is starting to come out now and Murray is in big trouble. Murray knew that retreat mining was dangerous but kept insisting otherwise to the media. Murray wanted the coal in that mine and if it took retreat mining to get it out then so bit it.