Feds: Gibson County coal mine operator fined $96K for violation that risked 'explosion'
GIBSON COUNTY, Ind. – The operator of a Francisco, Indiana, coal mine violated safety standards when it continued an energized drill during a methane inundation, risking "a catastrophic explosion," according to a federal government agency.
Peabody Midwest was fined $96,000, and its manager received a $6,000 penalty, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission said in a news release.
The Courier & Press left a message at the office of Peabody Midwest seeking comment.
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In a unanimous ruling on Aug. 24, the commission "determined that allowing the drill to remain energized, and continuing to work, were unwarrantable failures. The commission also determined that the mine manager who oversaw the dangerous work was personally liable for the violations."
Peabody Midwest was issued two citations: one for failure to deenergize the drill, and the other for performing work.
The mining company was conducting exploratory drilling in an underground coal mine when the drill punched through the coal bed and into an old mine, according to the release. The release doesn't say when the incident occurred.
"Methane gas began blasting through the drill hole," the release says. "Methane-measuring devices indicated that the methane was over 5% by volume, into the range where it is explosive if an ignition source is introduced to the atmosphere. A rotating drill or any energized electrical equipment can be an ignition source."
MSHA standards require operators to take action when the concentration of methane rises above 1.5% by volume.
Operators must evacuate the area, deenergize equipment and disconnect it at the power source, and perform “no other work” until methane levels fall below 1%, according to the release. But "instead of doing so, Peabody Midwest continued to run the drill, pulling out drill bits in attempt to clear the hole so that it could be plugged."
Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson says in the release: “The Mine Act is clear that operators have the ultimate responsibility to prevent mining hazards and dangerous working conditions. The U.S. Department of Labor will continue to enforce the law and hold mine operators accountable when they put lives at risk and fail to protect miners’ safety and health.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Indiana coal mine operator fined for violation that risked 'explosion'
