1989 — Sep 13, Coal Mine Gas Explosion, William Station No. 9, Wheatcroft, KY — 10

–10  CDC NIOSH. All Mining Disasters: 1839 to Present. 2-26-2013 update.

–10  Courier & Press, Evansville, IN. “Yesterday’s News: 1989 mine disaster claimed 10…”

–10  Mine Safety and Health Administration. Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the U. S.

–10  NYT/AP. “Gas Explosion in Kentucky Leaves 10 Coal Miners Dead.” 9-14-1989.

–10  US MRA. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Pyro Mining Company William Station…”

 

Narrative Information

 

Courier & Press: “Webster County’s worst coal mine disaster in 50 years happened Sept. 13, 1989, when a methane explosion killed 10 miners at Pyro Coal Co.’s William Station mine near Wheatcroft…..

 

“The aftermath included a flurry of lawsuits, $3.75 million in fines and criminal convictions of 15 Pryo officials. But all that was years in coming.

 

“The victims were Roger Keith Clifford, 32, and Mark Steven Hedges, 31, both of Morganfield; Paul Terry Harris, 39, and Anthony Terry McElroy, 36, both of Providence; Lynn Austin Ashmore, 31, and Kenneth Edward Reed, 32, both of Slaughters; Curtis Wayne Scott, 47, and Rick Dale Furgerson, 34, both of Madisonville; Ernest Warren Stewart, 40, of Mortons Gap; and James Anthony Tinsley, 36, of Marion.

 

“Tinsley died on the way to the hospital in Morganfield, according to The Gleaner of Sept. 15, and the remainder died “within minutes at the maximum, probably more like seconds,” according to State Medical Examiner George Nichols. Only one miner was able to remove his self-rescuer from the pouch, but he didn’t have time to insert the mouthpiece.

 

“By the end of the month, a federal judge had ruled that miners’ union representatives had the right to join the investigative team looking into the explosion’s cause. Pyro had objected to that and had refused to comply with an order from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.

 

“The mine reopened Nov. 3, 1989, after MSHA approved a new ventilation plan for the mine….

 

“MSHA alleged 121 violations of federal mine safety laws, according to The Gleaner of May 22, 1990, and 42 of them involved “reckless disregard” of safety, the agency’s most serious type of violation.

 

“The number and nature of the violations showed “a lack of concern about safety on the part of the operator as well as poor safety management,” according to William Tattersall, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety.

 

“According to the report, mine managers knew methane was accumulating in the mine four days before the blast but did not maintain adequate records that would have alerted others. They also failed to check for methane, failed to keep enough clean air in the mine and made a series of changes to the ventilation system that led to buildup of the gas.

 

“The MSHA levied a $500,000 fine, the largest penalty ever given a coal mine up to then, according to The Gleaner of July 6, 1990.

 

“But it was to get worse for Pyro, as well as for its parent company, Costain Coal Inc. of Evansville. The Gleaner of Feb. 20, 1993, noted that a federal grand jury had returned a 32-count indictment, while the same story also noted Costain Coal Inc. had entered a plea agreement to pay $3.75 million in fines. Pyro Coal Co. had been dissolved by that point. ‘Life is too precious to be sacrificed at the altar of monetary greed,’ said U.S. Attorney Joseph Whittle after the plea agreement had been reached.

 

“The amount was divided into $3 million in criminal fines, while the remainder was civil penalties and special assessments on the criminal penalties….

 

“By July 1, 1993, 10 current or former coal company officials had entered guilty pleas to a variety of violations at the mine, such as falsification of records, improper handling of explosives and failure to conduct fire drills. Most of them apparently received probation and a few months of home incarceration.

 

“One of them was James K. Greenlee, president of Pyro Coal in 1989, who had pleaded guilty March 18 to signing off on dangerous alterations to the mine’s ventilation plan. He received a year’s probation, two months of wearing an electronic monitor, and had to pay $5,608 in fines and fees.

 

“The Los Angeles Times of June 13, 1996, noted former mine superintendent David Steele had been sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $3,000. Two other mine officials received five- and six-month sentences….”

 

Sources

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Mining Program. All Mining Disasters: 1839 to Present. 2-26-2013 update. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/statistics/content/allminingdisasters.html

 

Courier & Press (Frank Boyett), Evansville, IN. “Yesterday’s News: 1989 mine disaster claimed 10 lives.” 9-13-2014. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://www.courierpress.com/news/yesterdays-news-1989-mine-disaster-claimed-10-lives-ep-610315221-324847031.html

 

Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Historical Data on Mine Disasters in the United States. Arlington, VA: MSHA, U.S. Department of Labor. Accessed October 5, 2008 at:  http://www.msha.gov/MSHAINFO/FactSheets/MSHAFCT8.HTM

 

New York Times/Associated Press. “Gas Explosion in Kentucky Leaves 10 Coal Miners Dead.” 9-14-1989. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/14/us/gas-explosion-in-kentucky-leaves-10-coal-miners-dead.html

 

United States Mine Rescue Association. Mine Disasters in the United States. “Pyro Mining Company William Station No. 9 Mine Explosion.” Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://usminedisasters.com/saxsewell/pyro.htm