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This is No. 10 in the top stories voted on by you, our viewers, as the most important of 2008.When nine men died in the Crandall Canyon mine 16 months ago, it was the biggest Utah story of 2007. In 2008, the tragedy continued to make big news as investigators assessed what went wrong and where the blame lies.
The nine men who died were memorialized in bronze in 2008, their faces permanently there for a touch from a loved one.
Kristin Kimber, widow of Brandon Kimber, said, "It's a very beautiful moment, and it just brings a lot of peace to knowing that they're here forever."
But even as the memorial was being sculpted, several investigations closed in on the causes of the tragedy.
In May, the U.S. Department of Labor inspector general reported a key agency had been asleep at the wheel. MSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, approved a dangerous mining plan, perhaps bullied by Murray Energy and its owner Bob Murray.
Alan Mortensen, attorney for the Crandall Canyon families, said, "They knew exactly what would happen with this type of mining plan, and yet they moved forward, putting profits in front of the lives of these families."
In July, MSHA itself blamed a pattern of deception, negligence and recklessness by Murray Energy. Richard Stickler, with MSHA, said, "First of all, it was not, and I repeat not, it was not a naturally-occurring earthquake, but in fact it was a catastrophic outburst of the coal pillars."
Frank Allred, the brother of one victim, said, "At least we have a better idea about what happened and why it happened. Probably a matter of several things combined to make it cause a mine accident."
That same day, MSHA was again blasted by an independent review team. It was a confusing blizzard of reports, but it left a clear message to families: their loved ones didn't have to die.
Wendy Black, widow of Dale Black, said, "Their love is with us still. They will always live in our hearts."
At year's end, the possibility of criminal charges still hangs in the air.
E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com
