I had watched a pre-recorded special called Tragedy In The Mountain on abc that was about the Sago Mine tragedy. When I watched it I felt so sorry for the families. I'm praying for Randy McCloy that he recovers from the nightmare that he was a part of in the Sago Mine. I'm also praying for all the families that they stay strong in this dark time. I’m looking forward to hearing about the results of the investigation. I know that it will be awhile before they find out what really caused the explosion. I have a copy of the special for anyone that didn’t get to see it. I will lend it out just ask me.

I just wanted to mention that I’m worked at the owner of the Sago mine, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross. I think that he really needs to rethink funding just a miserable $2 million dollars to start for the families. Two Million dollars to a Billionaire is pocket change man, give me a break. It should be more like 15 million dollars. When I watched the interview with Ross I was amazed on how little he cares about what has happened, from his reaction to the different questions from the interviewer.

Pray for Randy, pray for all the families and pray for Ross that his heart grows bigger toward this horrible tragedy.

Miner Bond

It is possible that the smoke was real bad toward the explosion and that the miners found a section of the mine without smoke and the air looked clear. So they could have assumed it would be best waiting there to be rescued. If it would have been me, I would have thought to exit through the smoke while the self rescuer was still working to find the way out of the mine. As long as there wasn't fire, there is no reason why they could not have proceeded until hitting a rockfall or something that prevented them from moving further.

Bond,

The tape was good. Some good information, although the press is still completely against the mining company.

As dangerous as mines are, the mine is also bringing well paid work to an area that probably could use it. Any mine inspector will find something he doesn't like abou the mine. You can keep it is clean as possible and you will still get violations. Until we know what these viloations are, I doubt that they contributed to this disaster at all.

Hey Greg,

Yeah the tape had some good information but they should have spoke more about what caused the explosion but all in good time I hope. The press will be aganst the mining company I'm sure for sometime.

I found this artical on-line that I wanted to share. At least somethings are moving along a little.

Also Monday, West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd (news, bio, voting record) said officials from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration would be called before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing before the end of the month to testify about the agency's response to the disaster.

"The families of the Sago miners deserve to know what happened in that mine. Just as importantly, miners and their families across this country want to know that steps are being taken to prevent others from ever experiencing such pain," Byrd said in a statement.

Like most of those held Sunday, Monday's memorials were to be private gatherings, with the media asked not to intrude after the heartbreak of the miners' deaths played out last week on live television.

The Groves family invited The Associated Press inside his memorial service, because his family wanted the whole world to "see our tears and our smiles," said Mike Rose, Groves' son-in-law.

"We've got people all over the world praying for us, and that's how I'm getting by," he said, sparking a chorus of "Amens" from the crowd, which listened to stories about the 56-year-old who spent half his life working in the coal mines.

Groves' niece, Teresa Cogar, said her Uncle Jerry was "always sitting on his porch in his flip-flops, drinking an iced tea."

ICG's said in a statement that it is paying for all of the miners' funeral expenses, but that chief executive Ben Hatfield is not attending the services to avoid creating additional stress on the families.

Miner Bond

Some snipits of new information. The blame game is continues as more facts emerge:


International Coal Group Inc.'s chief executive defended the Sago Mine as a "safe operation" Wednesday, one day after the federal mine safety officials released documents showing that 17 of the 208 alleged safety violations at the mine in 2005 were for serious problems.

Company officials "have heard nothing in the course of all this debate about the safety violations that even remotely connects" with any possible cause of the explosion," chief executive Ben Hatfield said.

Before the explosion, the company rebuilt two miles of primary escapeway, upgraded the mine's rail transportation system and implemented employee safety training that exceeded legal requirements, Hatfield said.

The 208 violations — a number higher than normal for a mine of its size — were up from just 68 citations the year before. The mine's injury rate for employees per hours worked of 17.4 in 2005 was nearly three times higher than the national average rate of 6.54.

Dennis O'Dell, the administrator of occupational health and safety for the United Mine Workers of America, said federal officials were cracking down on mistakes made at Sago.

"I think they were trying to go in the right direction," he said. "They were writing some pretty serious violations at that mine. ... That mine was headed for closure."

ICG has said it inherited many of the mine's safety problems from its former owner and had been working to correct the violations. ICG formally took control of the former Anker Energy mine in November, but started work there as management consultants in June, Hatfield said.

Officials have said the deadly explosion likely occurred in an area of the mine that was sealed in December. While in the mine, rescue workers found that the mine seals — which were to be checked weekly — had been "blown toward the surface," Ray McKinney, MSHA's administrator for coal mine safety and health, said Wednesday in Washington.

Hatfield acknowledged most of the violations came in the second half of 2005, but said that was a result of a 31 percent increase in the number of "inspection days" by MSHA officials. Robert Friend, MSHA's acting deputy assistant secretary of labor, said there was an 84 percent increase in MSHA's inspection hours at the mine from 2004 to 2005.

"We believe the high number of violations is attributable to a significant increase in enforcement standards by the MSHA inspectors that examined this mine virtually every day," Hatfield said.

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If exploring mines is wrong, then baby... I don't want to be right.

Anderson Cooper did a special this year (aired during the Utah disaster) on the sago mine. Like a recap of all the events...

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This ain't longwall... this is long hole!