The St. Louis-based coal producer has been allowed by the agency to move its longwall to protect the safety of miners, "but production cannot resume on a normal basis until the ventilation amendment is approved," Allyn Davis, district manager for the US Mine Safety and Health Administration in Denver, said.
MSHA wants the company to incorporate additional safeguards against spontaneous combustion, which is when coal catches fire after being exposed to oxygen. Such small fires are known in the industry as "hot spots" and are common in Utah mines, smoldering for months or even years. They are believed to have contributed to a buildup in carbon monoxide that forced Arch to withdraw miners from Dugout on June 22, keeping the mine closed ever since.
In early August, the agency expected Arch to submit revised ventilation plans within as a few days, but as of Monday the agency had yet to receive documents for review. As a result, two safety orders remain in place at the mine and will not be lifted until new plans have been approved. Continuous
miners have been allowed to restart at the mine, which produced 3.2 million short tons in 2009, but the longwall has remained idle.
An Arch spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Arch told investors last month that its average operating costs in its western bituminous region were higher during the second quarter because of the current closure and a separate shutdown at the mine in April. Executives predicted a similar effect during the third quarter. The mine is the third-largest of Arch's four western bituminous mines.
China Chemical Weekly: http://news.chemnet.com/en/detail-1411716.html
