Coalfield residents across the country feel ignored as their homes sink and flammable gas rises from underground mining. In Alabama, U.S. regulators dragged their feet until a former top official called them out for failure to protect the public.
The project’s fate has become a litmus test for the Biden administration, which has moved to phase out mining of federal coal in the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming.
In the past week, the mine was cited for not having proper roof and mine support. The fatality follows a leadership change at the company and a federal lawsuit alleging that leaking methane blew up a home above the mine in March.
Ryan M. Murray, a son of a late coal magnate and Trump ally, is now operating the mine, according to the executive. For residents, the new management raises old issues.
In a court hearing, lawyers for the Griffice family said their investigation into the March explosion is continuing despite a lack of engagement from state or federal regulators.
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
Following the death of a grandfather, Crimson Oak Grove Resources has left a community afraid for their homes and lives. An expert warns one resident may need to evacuate her home while she still can.
Following a home explosion that killed one and critically injured another, residents want to know more about the mine under their community. So far, their questions have largely gone unanswered.
Oak Grove Mine has a long history of safety violations. In 2006, federal officials evacuated its workers because of dangerous levels of methane, a flammable gas.