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John Hollenhorst reporting Eyewitness News has learned that a leading member of Congress is about to call for a criminal investigation of last summer's Crandall Canyon Mine disaster. The new development raises the possibility someone could go to prison for the disaster in Central Utah that claimed nine lives.
Six men were trapped in the Emery County coal mine when it partially collapsed last summer. Their bodies were never found. Three rescuers died as they tried to reach the men. That's because a second upheaval in the mine caused an explosive burst of coal that buried the rescuers.
As the disaster unfolded, mine owner Bob Murray angrily fended off accusations that his mining plan was unsafe. Subsequent investigations confirmed that substantial amounts of weight-bearing coal were removed in a procedure some have labeled "retreat mining." Critics say the government never should have approved the procedure, because it made the mine unstable.
Thursday in Washington, the House Education and Labor committee will announce the results of a lengthy investigation. A congressional source tells Eyewitness News that two documents will be issued: An investigative report that's 150 pages long and a separate memo that will be delivered at 10 a.m. to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In that memo, the committee chairman, Rep. George Miller of California, will urge the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation. Whether that memo is targeted at owner Bob Murray, we don't know. Details are being kept under wraps until a Washington news conference Thursday morning.
E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
