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HUNTINGTON, Emery County — Five years later, the pain is still fresh in the Utah mining community from the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse that trapped and killed six miners.
The initial collapse on August 6th trapped Kerry Allred, Luis Hernandez, Brandon Philips, Carlos Payan, Manuel Sanchez and Don Erickson. Ten days later, the mine collapsed again, killing three rescuers: Gary Jensen, Brandon Kimber and Dale "Bird" Black.
Emotional impact
"It is hard to overstate how big of an impact this has had," said attorney Colin King, who represented the families of the nine families. "It's been catastrophic, disruptive and i can't over emphasize that."
He says many are still dealing with depression, anxiety and the loss of their loved one. Mitch Horton, a rescuer injured in the second collapse, shares their grief but also carries the burden of survivor's guilt.
"I wonder if people look down on me for their husbands, brothers," Horton said. "They are the ones that lost their lives and me being alive."
Horton, who is suing Murray Energy separately from the nine families that settled, holds owner Robert Murray accountable for the loss of life and his injuries and trauma.
"I do fault Bob Murray because we are workers," Horton said. "I mean the way I looked at it, is guinea pigs."
Mining safety impact
Related:
Rescuer injured in Crandall Mine collapse suffers 5 years later
Five years ago, in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, the Crandall Canyon Mine collapsed in Huntington trapping six workers.Anger still lingers over the way Murray's company operated the mine before the collapse and then handled rescue efforts.
"MSHA had the regulations in place to avoid this, if they had been followed," King said. "And they weren't followed by Murray Energy."
In March, owners of the mine admitted to safety violations and agreed to pay $500,000 in fines. That plea got them off the hook for criminal charges.
"It was disappointing to our families and to us that more criminal sanctions did not result," King said.
On the other hand, King says the money Murray Energy paid to settle the lawsuit with families has had a far greater impact. That amount was never disclosed but said to be well above the $20 million paid out in the Wilberg mine disaster lawsuit.
"I think a lawsuit filed similarly to the one we filed always encourages people to be safe in the future," King said.
People involved in this tragedy hope that a commitment to mining safety will be the legacy that continues.
"That canyon will always have a place in my heart, you know, and every time I go I think about the workers who are still in there and the rescuers that lost their lives," Horton said.
Environmental impact
The mine has been closed since the tragedy but at least one environmental issue remains.
That canyon will always have a place in my heart, you know, and every time I go I think about the workers who are still in there and the rescuers that lost their lives.
–- Mitch Horton, survivor
After the mine collapsed there was an unexpected twist, the water coming out of the mine flowed orange because of high iron content. No one knows for certain why, but it has been suggested that the force of the underground collapse caused the flow to new geological layers.
"The mine before the disaster was good water, there was no real problem with it," said Daron Haddock of the Department of Natural Resources.
Until it was controlled, the bright orange flow was leaving its mark on rocks and vegetation. High levels of iron in water can be toxic to fish.
The owners of the Crandall Canyon Mine are paying out-of- pocket to treat the iron-rich water before it spills into local creeks. But the Utah Board of Oil, Gas & Mining ruled this year that they must also maintain a $720,000 bond.
"They have fought a little bit about how much bond they would have to post," Haddock said.
The bond guarantees the state will have money to continue the cleanup if the company ends the work for any reason. But it only covers the costs for three years. State regulators pushed for a higher bond to assure long-term cleanup, but the company appealed to the board of Oil, Gas and Mining and got the three-year deal.
"We are hoping the iron problem will eventually go away," Haddock said. "We think that is going to happen."
Although many think the mine will never re-open, Murray Energy continues to make lease payments to the federal BLM.
"Is there coal still available in these mountains? Yes," Huntington Mayor Hilary Gordan said. "Getting at it is perhaps a little more challenging."
For now the mine is essentially deserted and remains a haunting reminder of a tragedy the people in this area will never forget.
Murray Energy released a statement over the weekend saying they have no current plans to re-open the mine.
