Chairman Miller Statement on MSHA Report on Crandall Canyon Mine Tragedy 

Thursday, July 24, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today in response to the report from the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration on the 2007 Crandall Canyon mine disaster:

“MSHA's report affirms the conclusions reached by our own investigation: Murray Energy should not have proposed the flawed retreat mining plan and MSHA should not have approved the plan. It is clear that Murray Energy is an outlaw company that recklessly endangered its employees’ lives. It is tragic that the deaths of six miners and three rescuers resulted from the reckless actions of a few individuals and inadequate MSHA oversight.

“Especially troubling is MSHA’s conclusion that Murray Energy misled MSHA regarding bumps that occurred in March 2007.  In April of this year, I asked the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into this very subject.  The April referral was supported by significant evidence committee staff uncovered as they reviewed hundreds of thousands of documents, interviewed many witnesses, and deposed several individuals involved. I am confident that MSHA’s additional evidence in support of our criminal referral will provide further assistance to the Department of Justice in aggressively pursuing this criminal matter.

“We will review MSHA’s investigation report and that of the forthcoming review of MSHA’s actions at the mine. The agency’s track record, however, leads me to believe that MSHA is not up to the task of protecting the health and safety of our nation’s miners. We must ensure that another tragedy such as this never happens again.”

To read the results of the committee’s investigation, click here.

In January, the House of Representative approved mine safety and health legislation that includes provisions to ensure more vigorous oversight by MSHA of retreat mining plans and activities. For more information on that legislation (H.R. 2768), click here.

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