Published: December 01, 2007 11:01 pm         

State’s first emergency shelter being installed

West Virginia’s first emergency mine shelter is being installed in the Imperial Mine in Upshur County. In the event of an emergency, miners trapped underground can seek protection in the shelters.

The shelters provide at least 96 hours of breathable air, saving miners from the poisonous gasses frequently present after a mine explosion or collapse. The shelter also has supplies such as food, water and medicine.

Miners at the Imperial Mine received training in how to use the shelter involving several hours of classroom instruction and practical exercise. The training was conducted by the shelter’s manufacturer — local mining equipment company A.L. Lee Corp.

A.L. Lee is one of the few companies in West Virginia certified to build the shelters, and the first to produce and distribute a shelter to a mining operation.

A.L. Lee has manufacturing facilities in Lester and Mabscott.

State law requires underground mining operations to install enough shelters to protect all miners in the event of an emergency.

The shelters made by A.L. Lee hold a maximum of 35 miners. Most underground mining companies will purchase and install several of the shelters in order to comply with state law.

“We will need them (shelters) for several mines,” said Ira Gamm, spokesman for the International Coal Group, which owns the Imperial Mine. “We will have several (shelters) in an underground mine.”

Gamm said that ICG will be placing the shelters in all of its underground operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Illinois, and plans to purchase all of their shelters from A.L. Lee.

Gamm quoted ICG president Ben Hatfield in explaining why his company is taking the lead in implementing mining safety requirements.

“We are committed to protecting our miners, to demonstrating our leadership in complying with mandates involving miner safety,” Gamm said.

ICG expects to have the rescue shelters installed at all its underground mines by early 2008.

A.L. Lee Corp. is boosting production of the shelters in order to fill hundreds of orders statewide placed by mining companies attempting to comply with state law.

— E-mail:

bbilleter@register-herald.com