E2-Wire

Chief mine safety official denies regulators reported coal mine was in ‘good’ condition before deadly blast

by Jim Snyder - 05/20/10 7:46 PM ET

Byrd also asked Main to respond to Blankenship’s suggestion that a ventilation system he said MSHA forced to put in the mine may have contributed to the explosion.

“MSHA did not run the Upper Big Branch mine. Massey Energy did,” Main said.

He said an MSHA inspector found workers in the mine during a major air change designed to improve ventilation, a violation of the law. The mine, Main said, was not being operated legally.

But Byrd also sharply criticized Main’s agency for stepping up its inspections only after the deadly blast.

“It happened on their watch,” Byrd said.

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