Ex-mine official to lead probe of mine blast

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Joe Manchin on Tuesday asked a former top federal mine safety official to conduct an independent investigation of an explosion that killed 29 West Virginia miners, and also called for more scrutiny of mines with a history of safety violations.

Manchin told The Associated Press that J. Davitt McAteer, who headed the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration during the Clinton administration, will probe the explosion and serve as his special adviser on issues involving the blast at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine.

McAteer's probe will be independent of separate state and federal investigations, and he'll focus on what actions should be taken to prevent such explosions in the future.

"I want a transparent third party, that's not attached in any way, shape or form," Manchin said.

McAteer has conducted similar probes of the Sago mine disaster that killed 12 and the Aracoma Alma No. 1 mine fire that killed two miners. He told AP he expects to focus on the apparent failure of systems meant to prevent such a disaster: the spraying of powdered rock to dilute explosive coal dust; the venting of methane gas; and safety conditions before miners begin each shift.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama was to meet Thursday with federal labor and mine safety officials to discuss preliminarily what may have caused the blast.

Investigators still don't know what ignited the worst U.S. coal mine disaster in four decades, but officials believe highly explosive methane was involved.

Congress is also convening hearings beginning later this month to look at weaknesses in federal mine safety legislation and whether the system encourages mine operators to challenge safety violations and delay penalties.

Since the April 5 explosion, details have emerged about an extensive list of safety violations at the mine. The company has been repeatedly cited and fined for problems with the system that vents methane and for allowing combustible dust to build up.

According to an Associated Press review of records from MSHA, Massey frequently sidesteps hefty fines by aggressively contesting safety violations, an increasingly common industry tactic since the 2006 Sago mine disaster led to stiffer fines.

Massey CEO Don Blankenship has defended the company's record and disputed accusations from miners that he puts profits ahead of safety. He has said the number of violations at Upper Big Branch are about the same as the national average.

Manchin said he wanted state regulators to target problems involving methane gas, coal dust levels, poor ventilation and electrical issues.

"Right now, we need to make sure that the rules are being complied with. I can't sit back and assume anymore," Manchin said.

The governor said he wanted to review state law to make sure West Virginia officials are able to shut down unsafe mines and order immediate fixes without any delays.

Also Tuesday, federal mine safety officials said Upper Big Branch should have received a warning letter in October about a potential pattern of safety violations, but a computer program that screens for violation patterns failed to include eight citations at the mine.

If they had been included, MSHA would have notified the mine and given the operator 90 days to improve safety conditions.

MSHA director Joe Main told AP that the mine had reduced its violations by more than 60 percent anyway and the error didn't have an impact on the tragedy.

Richmond, Va.-based Massey has also been under scrutiny for a string of state safety violations. Records show the mine was cited for 44 violations during its most recent state inspection April 1, most of them involving electrical problems and ventilation.

West Virginia is the second largest coal producing state in the nation and disasters in its coalfields have shaped U.S. coal mine safety laws.

The deaths at the Sago and Aracoma mines brought about a series of safety reforms, but as coal companies spent more than $1 billion on new measures, the equipment did nothing to save the lives of those at Upper Big Branch.

The problem was the reforms were focused almost exclusively on sustaining trapped miners long enough to rescue them, not on preventing explosions.

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Associated Press writer Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report.