Opinion ID: 3039629
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cumberland Mine

Text: Cumberland operates Cumberland Mine, a large underground coal mine in western Pennsylvania. The mine has the unfortunate distinction of being “gassy,” which means that it typically liberates more than 1,000,000 cubic feet of methane in a twenty-four hour period and consequently requires spot inspection every five days by representatives of MSHA. 30 U.S.C. § 813(I). In a gassy longwall mine, methane is liberated from the longwall face that is being mined, as well as from within the gob. As previously noted, bleeder ventilation systems are intended to dilute and remove the liberated methane.2 This case involves ventilation problems associated with the forty-ninth longwall panel at Cumberland Mine, also 2 Methane emanating from within the gob has to move some distance before it is diluted by the bleeder system. Areas close to the rubble, or fallen material in the gob, might contain high concentrations of methane, which, perhaps counterintuitively, makes for less hazard of an explosion. While Methane may be liberated from coal in concentrations at or near 100%, the explosive range of methane-air mixtures is from 5% to 15%. 6 known as the “No. 49 longwall panel” or “LW49.” LW49 is 12,000 feet long by 1,250 feet wide and is the largest panel Cumberland has ever undertaken to mine. Cumberland I, 27 FMSHRC at 315. Pursuant to 30 C.F.R. § 75.370(a)(1), a mine operator must submit a ventilation plan to MSHA for approval before beginning to mine. Section 75.370(a)(1) provides, in pertinent part: The operator shall develop and follow a ventilation plan approved by the district manager. The plan shall be designed to control methane and respirable dust and shall be suitable to the conditions and mining system at the mine ... . The ventilation plan for LW49 was submitted to MSHA on November 7, 2003. The type of ventilation system proposed was a “wraparound” system that would circulate bleeder air by using fans already in place for other mining operations 3 to create a pressure differential that would draw air towards and across the longwall face. Cumberland chose the wraparound system over a more conventional “bleeder fan” system, which would have drawn air to a bleeder fan and shaft that was to have been installed at the back of the area that would become 3 According to an employee of MSHA, the existing fans used to drive the wraparound bleeder system for LW49 were three and a half miles away from the panel. (App. at 257-58.) 7 the gob.4 Though Cumberland had originally planned to use a bleeder fan system at LW49 and had laid out the entries around the panel with that in mind, it abandoned those plans when it became clear that the bleeder fan could not be installed and operational by the time Cumberland wanted to begin mining. No matter what system it had chosen, Cumberland knew it was obligated to comply with 30 C.F.R. § 75.334(b)(1), which sets forth a mandatory safety standard every ventilation system must meet: During pillar recovery a bleeder system shall be used to control the air passing through the area and to continuously dilute and move methane- air mixtures and other gases, dusts, and fumes from the worked-out area away from active workings and into a return air course or to the surface of the mine. 4 The wraparound bleeder system brought the bleeder air inby, toward the working face, while traditional ventilation bleeder systems take the bleeder air outby, away from the longwall panel. See also Cumberland I, 27 F.M.S.H.R.C. at 297 (explaining airflow of wraparound system). “Inby” means “toward the working face, or interior, of the mine”; “outby” means “away from the face, ... toward the mine entrance.” (Respondent’s Brief at 7 n.5 (citing Am. Geological Inst., Dictionary of Mining, Mineral and Related Terms, 276, 383 (2d ed. 1997)).) 8 MSHA approved Cumberland’s wraparound ventilation plan on December 9, 2003, but only for the first 8,000 feet of the panel.5 Mining of LW49 began on December 28, 2003. From January 4 to 11, 2004, in what seems to have been an effort to deal with ventilation difficulties, Cumberland made three changes to the ventilation system without seeking prior approval from MSHA.6 On January 16, MSHA inspectors conducted a ventilation survey of LW49 and issued Citation No. 7083200, alleging a 5 The letter from MSHA to Cumberland does not indicate what steps Cumberland or MSHA would take after the first 8,000 feet of mining was completed, though the ALJ noted that Cumberland anticipated the creation of another ventilation shaft that would enhance air circulation. Cumberland I, 27 FMSHRC at 297. LW49 was 12,000 feet in length, an unusually large block of coal to ventilate with a wraparound system. During the hearing before the ALJ, the Chairman of the Health and Safety Committee for Local Union No. 2300 testified that at Cumberland Mine, “the longest panel that they had utilizing the wraparound system was about 9,500 feet, but we have had other mines [on the same coal seam as the Cumberland Mine] where it’s only maybe four or five thousand feet with a wraparound system where we have had serious ventilation problems.” (App. 243, p. 140:4-10.) 6 MSHA issued a citation for those unapproved changes to the mining plan. That citation is not before us on appeal. 9 violation of section 75.334(b)(1). The January 16 citation stated: The bleeder system for the active LW49 longwall section ... was determined to be ineffective in controlling the flow of air through the bleeder system to continuously dilute and move methane-air mixtures from the gob and away from the active workings ... . Coal will not be mined with the longwall until ventilation changes are made to correct the bleeder system deficiencies and a plan submitted and approved by the District Manager showing the revised bleeder system. (App. 90; 449-51.) Several meetings then took place between Cumberland and MSHA personnel to discuss the ventilation changes necessary to cure the problem noted in the January 16 citation. MSHA required those changes because it “believed that the air flows measured in the ventilation surveys indicated that the BEPs on the tailgate did not provide accurate information on conditions in the #2 entry ... . [MSHA] insisted that additional monitoring points be established at crosscuts #82 and #85.” Cumberland I, 27 F.M.S.H.R.C. at 302. After several meetings between MSHA and Cumberland, in response to MSHA’s concerns, “Cumberland reluctantly submitted a proposed ventilation plan incorporating the changes required by MSHA.” Id. at 303. The revised plan provided, in pertinent part, that “[c]ontinuous monitoring will 10 take place in the [tailgate] at BEP30, BEP30A, BEP30B, 85xcut #2 to #1 entry ... . The monitoring will be on a ‘roving’ basis and the quality, quantity and airflow direction will be recorded ... .” Id. at 303-04. The revised ventilation plan was submitted to and approved by MSHA on January 21, 2004. In addition to discussing with Cumberland the appropriate response to the January 16 citation, MSHA continued its mandatory spot inspections at the mine. On February 4, 2004, it issued Citation No. 7067000, alleging another violation of section 75.334(b)(1).7 The February 4 citation focused on the monitoring points in the No. 2 entry that had been added pursuant to the revised ventilation plan. Specifically, the citation observed that [t]he bleeder system for the active LW49 longwall section ... was determined to be ineffective in controlling the flow of air through the bleeder system to continuously dilute and move methane-air mixtures from the gob away from the active workings. This was due to an adjustment to the ventilation controls in the No. 2 entry of the headgate side. (App. 94-95; 454-59.) 7 An imminent danger order was also issued on February 4 but is not before us on appeal. 11 MSHA found yet another violation of section 75.334(b)(1) on February 7, 2004, after detecting “methane ... on the tailgate side, in the No. 2 entry, at the No. 85 crosscut at 5.0%.” (App. 96.) That violation formed the basis for Citation No. 7067003, which stated: The bleeder system for the active LW49 longwall section ... was determined to be ineffective in controlling the flow of air through the bleeder system to continuously dilute and move methane-air mixtures from the gob and away from the active workings. This is a contributing factor to [an imminent danger order] 8 ... . (Appx. 96; 460-63.) On February 13, 2004, Cumberland announced that it would idle LW49 until it could abandon the wraparound ventilation system and implement a bleeder fan ventilation system. After Cumberland converted to the new system, the mine ceased having ventilation problems.