Company waited 1 1/2 hours to contact mine rescue team leader
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission has overturned a decision by an administrative law judge involving Wolf Run Mining Co.'s Sago Mine in Upshur County, W.Va., where 12 miners died in a massive explosion on Jan. 2, 2006.
The commission found that the mine operator's failure to notify the Mine Safety and Health Administration and mine rescue teams immediately after the explosion involved unwarrantable failure and high negligence. The commission assessed the company with proposed penalties of $1,500 and $13,000 for two separate citations.