New Zealand Coal Mine Boss Acknowledges Problems
The boss of a New Zealand coal mine where 29 people died in an explosion last year has acknowledged the mine faced difficulties with finances, personnel and safety.
In testimony this week at a formal inquiry into the methane-fueled disaster, Pike River Coal Chief Executive Peter Whittall said he knew a four-inch pipeline removing methane gas from the mine was “inadequate” from the time it was installed. He said the plan was always to replace the pipe with a larger one.
Whittall said he’d faced “a lot of frustration” with the lack of continuity in having six different mine managers over two years. And he acknowledged the mine faced a cash flow problem after operating over schedule and behind budget.
The inquiry, in the South Island town of Greymouth, continues.
- DraftKings Sued Over ‘Risk-Free’ Bets That Were Anything But
- Jury Awards $80M to 3 Former Zurich NA Employees for Wrongful Termination
- Florida’s Home Insurance Industry May Be Worse Than Anyone Realizes
- California Chiropractor Sentenced to 54 Years for $150M Workers’ Comp Scheme
- Report: Vehicle Complexity, Labor ‘Reshaping’ Auto Insurance and Collision Repair
- Poll: Consumers OK with AI in P/C Insurance, but Not So Much for Claims and Underwriting
- California Sees Two More Property Insurers Withdraw From Market
- Mother of 8-Year-Old ‘Violently Sucked’ into Houston Hotel Pool Files Wrongful Death Suit