SEARCH
Crandall Canyon Owner Must Face Capitol Hill Lawmakers |
|
Looks like Crandall Canyon co-owner Robert Murray can’t hide from Capitol Hill any longer. Crandall Canyon is the Utah mine where six coal miners and three rescuers were killed last August. The bodies of the six miners have never been recovered.
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee last week subpoenaed Murray after he turned down several earlier offers from the committee to voluntarily testify. As committee spokesman, Tom Kiley says:
We had asked to sit down and speak with Mr. Murray on several occasions, but those requests have been rebuffed.
Along with Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy Corp., the committee subpoenaed P. Bruce Hill, president of Utah American Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp. Both have been told to appear for depositions in mid-March. Says Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), committee chairman:
Our goal in speaking with Mr. Murray and Mr. Hill is the same as our goal in this investigation—to learn what went wrong at the Crandall Canyon Mine so that we can apply lessons learned from this tragedy to ensure that nothing like it happens again.
He also was subpoenaed by the Senate Appropriations’ labor subcommittee, and a hearing is expected in March or April. Murray declined invitations to appear at earlier Senate hearings on the mine collapse.
Lawmakers want to ask Murray about his company’s mining plan that directed miners to pull down the pillars of coal the mine’s previous owners had left in place to support the mine roof. The process is called retreat mining and most safety experts believe it is more dangerous than other mining methods.
At the time of the collapse, Murray repeatedly claimed it resulted from an earthquake, despite scientific evidence against his claim.
Lawmakers also want to question Murray about his role in the rescue operations when three rescuers were killed 10 days later.
Click here and here for more information and here to view excerpts from an October committee hearing where the families of those killed testified.
3 Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
I think the AFL-CIO should work very closely with the United Mine Workers of America to widely publicize the fact that Mr.Murray will be forced to testiify before US House and Senate Committees.
I watched Mr.Murray’s antics during the tragic Utah mine disaster.I believe he represents what all non-union mine owners believe;profits first,last and always.If that means sending miners into dangerous,life-threatening situations to extract the very last ounce of coal,such as in retreat mining,so be it.
The American people should be aware of what jeopardy non-union workers are placed in to try to make a living.
Ed Fire,Retired President
IUE_CWA>
they should hang Murray and incarcerate him along with the Federal henchman in MSHA ala Bushies that allowed this dangerous mining to go on for nothing other than GREED!
I wonder how Murray would feel and what would he do differently if he had a family member down in that mine! These guys just have no idea what other people suffer through due to their negligence. Kind of makes them less than human, don’t you think.