Feds Fine Kentucky Mine $147K for Improper Roofing

January 16, 2009

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Adminstration has fined a Kentucky mining company $147,300 for a “flagrant violation” of mine safety rules.

Agency spokeswoman Amy Louviere said C.S.A. Mining Inc. was cited in July for not properly installing roof supports in its No. 2 Mine in Letcher County.

Louviere said that the company was supposed to be using 60-inch-long roof bolts to hold overhead rock layers in place. But she says the company instead was using 36-inch roof bolts, with some installed farther apart than they should have been.

Federal mine safety chief Richard Stickler called it “unacceptable that a mine operator would cut corners” and put miners at risk.

C.S.A. Mining has no listed telephone number.