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Monday, February 03, 2003

By The Associated Press

SOMERSET, Pa. -- The state Department of Environmental Protection's acting secretary has postponed the release of the Quecreek Mine accident report because investigators need more time to sort through hydrology studies, a department spokesman said.

Former Gov. Mark Schweiker had said the final report on the accident at the Somerset County mine would be released last week, but acting Secretary Kathleen McGinty found that DEP officials needed more time to work, according to DEP spokesman Dennis Buterbaugh.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration and the DEP first visited the Quecreek Mine in the weeks following the July 24 accident, in which nine miners were trapped underground for 78 hours.

In a preliminary report, investigators concluded the use of inaccurate maps led the miners to think they were still some 300 feet away when they breached an abandoned mine filled with millions of gallons of water.

But attorney Howard Messer, who represents seven of the nine miners, criticized the preliminary report for focusing on the aftermath of the flood, not what preceded it, and for failing to provide enough information about safety procedures at Black Wolf Coal Co., the operators of Quecreek.

Federal mining and state environmental officials planned to incorporate the new interviews into a final state report on the cause of the Quecreek Mine accident and to share their findings with the state attorney general and U.S. attorney's office.

As for the delay, Messer said investigators should take more time if they need it, but his clients would prefer a new panel of investigators to review the evidence.

"We've been asking for this for a long time, and finally there might be some answers to our questions," he said.

Tom Foy, one of the miners who was trapped, also said investigators should take all the time they need.

Officials from Black Wolf Coal couldn't be reached for comment.

But James Martin, the senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Delaware holding company Mincorp, which owns the mine, commended the DEP's move.

"We'd encourage them to take whatever time is necessary for them to feel comfortable with it," he said.