Well cyclist, I know a great deal about many things. But as in all things, there are numerous avenues of knowledge. All doctors, for instance, aren't able to patch nerves together.
If you could tell me what portion of coal mining you are interested in, or for that matter just what I might know about it, just ask me the specifics.
We all also learned a lot from the recent coal mine catastrophe where now several miners still lie buried. We learned that such a mine as that can collapse just as a house of cards does if something shakes it or the engineering is faulty!

And about Sago. What broken rules caused the explosion?
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Whether it was by lightning, which I doubt, or some other igniter, Sago blew up due to methane gas accumulation.
The company had over two hundred safety violations the year before, some about dust accumulation and methane accumulation not being taken care of properly. This is standard in most coal mines, ignore reports ALAP.
Rules are constantly broken, and hardly any are considered sufficient to shut down the mine until the violations are repaired.
There was testimony at Sago near the explosion time that two roof bolters drilled into methane and reported it. The hole was repaired with glue later.
I could write about how mines are operated all day, but I answered your question.
The facts are that mine operators will dig coal out of most any conditions with improper safety precautions, if allowed to do so.
Miners expect to die at any time and therefore it is all right to do dig it out.
The operators do make a big show with the inspectors about all they do for safety, but it is still like sending a soldier into the battle field with no ammunition and hope he is lucky.
One can also mine coal in a mined out area by cutting out the coal
ribs holding up the ceiling---easy money as the Gecko says. And if you do it in a mountain trying to settle all of the time from mined out hollows from years before, all the better.
This has been a sad story since the miners came over from Great Brittan years ago.
China is currently going through the same phase we were in years ago, only they kill hundreds at a time using all manpower and little equipment.
Now you can accuse me of being a Communist and an anti-capitalist!

Thanks $ for attempting to answer my question from August 19. But, what rule infraction was cited by the government that caused the explosion?
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Hi Cyclist,
Regarding the Sago Mine explosion, the final report prepared on that disaster stated the following:

1. There was a very strong correlation that a lightning strike caused the methane explosion. The lightning strike was recorded by meteorologists and exactly one second later a series of carbon monoxide alarms triggered in the mine, indicating a methane explosion. The committee said it was highly likely but no one could be 100% sure.

2. The explosion was triggered in a sealed abandoned portion of the mine. A sump pump was abandoned there, it was too costly to remove. There were phone lines, electrical lines and metal conduits leading from this abandoned pump to the surface. The committee noted that this was the most likely way that electricity from the lightning strike entered the abandoned mine, and further testing was being done. The committee pointed out there were NO required lightning arrestors on any of the phone lines/electrical lines, and was very adamant about calling this criminal negligence.

3. The truly sad part was the fact that the Omega seals on the abandoned portion of the mine were useless. A 1971 law indicated that the seals should withstand a shock of 20 pounds psi. The person who made this determination made a fundamental physics error (something to do with static vs. dynamic force, I can't tell you any more as I get nightmare flashbacks trying to recall high school physics). The seals should have been at least 50 pounds psi. Sadly, there were NINE ruptured seals in previous accidents in the 12 months preceding the mine disaster...so we can't say we werent' warned. Nobody took action. In any event, the blast at the Sago mine was estimated to be 200 psi so just about any seal would have ruptured.

4. The seal issue was so bad that Congress immediately passed a law strengthening mine seals and the Bush Administration (which heretofore had always placed profits over people) actually signed the law. 20 PSI seals are now legally insufficient for abandoned mines.

You chimed in on a conversation in which I was trying to get "$" to respond to a question I had last August. I don't think you're "$" as you exhibit a little more savvy than he with respect to editing posts.

Anyways, we have already broached the issue of the technical aspects of the that tragedy, Omega seals and alike. BTW here is the 05/09/07 report from MSHA.

MSHA Final Report

The final sentence states "However, the investigation team found that none of these violations caused the accident or contributed to the deaths of 12 miners."

Please cite your sources.

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