Coal mine was a 'ticking timebomb'

by: Carnacki

Mon May 24, 2010 at 11:12:31 AM EDT

BECKLEY - Miners and families from the Upper Big Branch Mine on Monday described the Massey Energy operation as "a ticking time bomb," where safety problems were ignored and workers feared losing their jobs if they complained.

"I felt like I was working for the Gestapo at times," said continuous miner operator Stanley Stewart, who was on his way into Upper Big Branch when the April 5 explosion occurred.

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Stewart was among the witnesses this morning in Beckley at a field hearing of the House Committee on Education and Labor, which is investigating mine safety problems and the death of 29 workers at Upper Big Branch.

Much of the testimony is damning.

Gary Quarles, the father of fallen miner Gary Wayne Quarles, said he has also worked at Massey mines and that the company routinely fixes safety problems only when workers underground are tipped off ahead of time that federal Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors are on their way.

"MSHA inspections at Massey did little to protect miners," Quarles said. "We absolutely looked to MSHA for leadership, particularly on safety issues, but MSHA has let us down many times."