Ex-miner recalls Sago: 'It was a hellhole'

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Friday, January 6, 2006 | Robin Acton

[brazzaville]

Good afternoon.
"Did he get banned?"

I haven't seen him post again. He was superior and pretty hostile but aren't we all at times. I've seen worse dust ups. I've even been dumb enough to make myself the target.

Michael Frazier

[CindyDawg]

This is probably a dumb question since people in the safety field already work on this kind of stuff but why could you not have a compressed tent that would filter air instead of a baracade,

[The_Media_never_lie]

Good article!

[GOPPachyderm]

I think CNN (which I rarely watch) said about $50,000 annually

[Tammy8]

As a contrast to that, my father worked as a cowboy during the 1930s and was paid $20 dollars a month plus room and board. While cowboy'n for a living is not the safest or easiest job in the world, it sure doesn't compare to the dangers in the mines.

[Jaxter]

Sorry I took so long to get back to you. I'm not sure what you mean by a 'compressed tent'. Do you mean some kind of inflatable structure that the trapped miners would enter after an explosion? If you do it would have to be pretty large as they would might need to stay there for several days. It would have to be made of a really strong material because coal mines are positively packed with sharp edges, coal, slate, roof bolts, etc. I don't know, something like that might be feasible.

[TNdandelion]

That's a scary thought...but then...there's some scary history there. My grandfather and G-grandfather were both miners (KY) and told of stories where non-union coal trucks were hijacked and burned on the side of the roads.

I hope/think it was just an accident.

[CindyDawg]

I meant one of the material that is kept in certain areas that is factory sealed and wouldn't take up much room.

[jonrick46]

You give a very good perspective:

"high commodity prices are bringing abandoned mines back into production. Going into old workings is always a risky proposition, especially underground."

As time goes on, mining technology will need to become more advanced to bring scarce minerals up to the surface. There will also be more risk. With today's lawsuit happy public and politicians who regulate out of touch with reality, the mine owners may see it more profitable to buy a mine, collect the low interest loan, and sell it. This is where we need politician in touch with reality to make the landscape conducive to this dangerous enterprise. Even though he is a Democrat, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin is the right man for these mines.

[beaver fever]

Major mining companies prefer near surface low grade resources rather than high grade resources that can only be mined underground.

This is the result of and explosion in advanced metallurgy and processing technologies since the invention of heap leach gold recovery. (invented by a Vancouver mining engineer who I have interviewed).

The metrics of near surface low grade out ways the benefits of expensive and dangerous underground operations.

High grade is still attractive depending on the grade. In Red Lake, gold companies are developing mining plans for 6000 feet underground. Below 6000 feet you have to go robotic.

Most people are unaware of how high tech modern mining has become.