Massey crew, politicians hampered efforts at Upper Big Branch(Mine rescue)

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Federal rescuers who rushed to the Upper Big Branch mine disaster found dangerous conditions underground complicated by mine operators and politicians who refused to follow safety regulations, according to witness testimony released yesterday.

Mine Safety and Health Administration mine rescue team member Jerry Cook told investigators his crew entered the West Virginia mine shortly after the April 5, 2010, blast only to learn later that owner Massey Energy Co. had sent in other rescuers, and that two company officials who were not trained rescuers spent hours underground.

"It's bad enough to try to find 29 people; you don't need to have 40 more to look for," Cook told investigators. "Anybody could've done anything in that mine that they wanted to. They could've ... changed controls or anything. We just had a major explosion.

"They could've — they could've killed every one of us," Cook said, in a transcript of his interview. "At that time, we was expendable that night — that's my opinion."





Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_736243.html

Clearly this is a case of manslaughter.

-Hoot