The Trapped Miners

**mtomm**[$] · #1 08-17-2007, 12:39 AM

This just keeps going from bad to worse.

This has been a pretty big deal at my house since my husband grew up there on that mountain and his brother is a miner IN that mountain. Different mining company and mine but still.

With this new round of setbacks and injuries it has started my husband's obsession with it all over again. I can't wait for some resolution. For those families I'm hoping and praying for the best but anything now would almost have to be a relief.

**theworm**[$] · #2 08-17-2007, 01:01 AM

I've been watching this pretty closely (and suprised we hadn't discussed it here). I don't understand how this is going on so long without the spotlight that we had for the Virginia collapse. It seems like everything has gone wrong with this rescue operation, and my heart hurts for those families.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #3 08-17-2007, 01:08 AM

I have to wonder why we're still doing underground mining in the first place, given the dangers. You'd think by now they'd have come up with better ways of accessing whatever they're mining.

**amykhar** · #4 08-17-2007, 07:49 AM

I can't bear to read or follow the story for the most part. It's just too sad.

phoenixx · #5 08-17-2007, 09:28 AM

I don't know what to say about the story. It is heart breaking.

**mtomm**[$] · #6 08-17-2007, 09:58 AM

When I went to bed one rescue worker had died. Now it is three.

I think the solution MJ is to utilize renewable energy resources. We've got to phase out coal and oil.

The only negative thing I've heard from my BIL about the incident is that every mine is required to have two entrances, this one only had one.

**lynnzop**[$] · #7 08-17-2007, 10:14 AM

My train of thought has been much the same as MJ's...if we can't reduce our dependence on coal, why haven't there been advances in getting it out of the ground?

Between this and the bridge collapse, there's been far too much tragedy lately.

Margo, hugs to your hubby and brother...this has got to prey on their minds.

**pippadaisy**[$] · #8 08-17-2007, 11:09 AM

There have been advances... it's when they strip mine.

**lynnzop**[$] · #9 08-17-2007, 11:13 AM

I'm talking more along the lines of robotics or other methods. Don't destroy the environment (strip mining) but don't send real, live people down there.

It doesn't seem as if they've anything except have the mentality "we can find more people willing to go down there if we pay them enough".

**theworm**[$] · #10 08-17-2007, 11:23 AM

This is horrible. I've been so sad about this from the beginning. When I first heard of the collapse they said they knew where the men were, and I felt happy that they would get to them quickly. The rescue efforts have been a travesty. And now three more are dead. While the thought of not recovering the bodies of the miners must be unbearable to the families, how can they risk more lives in this futile recovery? I try to be positive and hopeful, but there have been no signs of life from the hole and the thought of more men dying in this heroic but dangerous effort is horrific.

The mine owner keeps talking about earthquakes and safety. A mine with just one entrance? Not safe. I hope they go after him but good!

My heart breaks for the families of the miners and the men working to rescue them.

**mtomm**[$] · #11 08-17-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

"These events seem to be related to ongoing settling of the rock mass following the main event," Siegel said Friday morning. "I don't think I'm going too far to say that this mountain is collapsing in slow motion."

That's comforting.

**thinkerlady**[$] · #12 08-17-2007, 01:06 PM

I too have been following this. Last night when we heard about the recent setback, it was too much to listen to. I had to turn it off.

erik_kosberg · #13 08-17-2007, 01:22 PM

Quote:

The mine owner keeps talking about earthquakes...

Which is a flat-out lie meant to try to avoid lawsuits. Seismologists who've studied this are unanimous that the mine cave-in itself was what showed up on their equipment. There was no earthquake.

**hadassahchana**[$] · #14 08-17-2007, 03:01 PM

I hadn't read about the seismologists' opinion, but you know we'd have heard by now if there really was an earthquake of any kind in that area. Lawsuits won't bring those men back, but with any luck at all the owner'll be working at McDonald's in a year or so.

erik_kosberg · #15 08-21-2007, 12:42 PM

At least Richard Stickler is on the job.

**mtomm**[$] · #16 08-21-2007, 12:58 PM

Note to Utah:

Bush is not doing a very good job of praying about his back door appointments.

**pippadaisy**[$] · #17 08-25-2007, 11:54 PM

Looks like they won't even be able to recover the bodies.

Final bore hole completed at Utah mine; no sign of life found - CNN.com

frazzledspice · #18 08-26-2007, 09:45 AM

Maybe this sounds naive, but do you think that there would be a way to invent an extremely strong GPS system with a signal that could be detected even in an underground mine?

If such devices had been available today, finding the miners would have been much easier.

I can understand the dilemma--three people have already died in the rescue effort, and six people have been injured. As hope of finding the miners alive ends, is it worth it to risk the lives of others to continue the search? Certainly if it could be done without risk it should be continued, but if it can't....

I read recently that the largest oil reserves in the world are right here in North America--deep and relatively inaccessible. As oil becomes more and more expensive, suddenly the expense and risk of getting to those inaccessible reserves becomes more worthwhile. Mining will probably continue to become more challenging as we use up the accessible resources.

Yes, we need to find renewable resources.