September 15, 2024 - Work has resumed but no remediation efforts are currently underway at a mine in Volga, WV where a fire was reported on July 1.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration have yet to file a report on the incident and representatives of Allegheny Metallurgical, which owns the Volga mine, offered few remarks. 

After a fire broke out at the Century Mining Long View mine in Volga, production was briefly halted, but Allegheny Metallurgical Human Resources Director Kevin ODell said production has since resumed.

ODell said the company does not yet have enough facts to determine the cause of the fire or to comment further at this time.

However, West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton alleged the fire was started by a substance that has been the cause of four mine fires in just as many years, according to data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Hamilton said he heard the fire was started when void fill material was used to fill a cavity in the ceiling of the mine where there was coal dust and roof strata that had been deemed susceptible to deterioration.

"The substance supposedly experienced some combustion due to the heating nature of the agent that was used. And it's not the first time that has happened. It happened previously in Alabama," Hamilton said.

Polyurethan foam void fill causes an exothermic reaction when used, and MSHA has a page on its website which details the history of incidents involving the substance as well as precautions mine operators should take.

"On June 27, 2024, a fire occurred in an underground coal mine after a large quantity of polyurethane foam was injected into a roof cavity. This is the fourth uncontrolled heating event attributed to polyurethane foam application in 4 years. Polyurethane-based foam products produce heat from an exothermic chemical reaction. Injecting large quantities of polyurethane to fill voids can cause underground mine fires," MSHA's webpage on the product reads. The post doesn't cite a specific mine where the fire occurred.

Hamilton said, for this kind of work, there is a substitute material that can fulfill the same purpose, but did not elaborate.

The area of the mine where the fire broke out has been sealed, or isolated, but no remediation efforts have begun, officials said.

Allegheny Metallurgical has yet to submit a remediation plan to MSHA, according to Patrick Malone, a public relations officer with the U.S. Department of Labor.

There were no reported injuries or deaths due to the fire. However, a mining accident that resulted in a fatality took place at the Volga mine late last year.

West Virginia has been the site of numerous accidents and fatalities related to mining this year. So far, West Virginia has had more mining fatalities in 2024 than any other state.

Out of 19 MSHA reported fatalities so far in 2024, four have occurred in West Virginia, three have taken place in Texas and Pennsylvania each, and two have taken place in Colorado, with seven other states each suffering a single miner death.

Fatalities in West Virginian mines were reported by MSHA on May 16, July 12, Aug. 5 and Sept. 6 this year.

West Virginia is the second leading coal producing state in the nation, coming behind Wyoming, which produces coal from mainly surface mines.

"Typically you have more accidents with underground mines. But we have more miners and more active mines in West Virginia than most other states including the state of Wyoming. When those numbers are weighted West Virginia still stands much much safer from an accident standpoint ... than most other states," Hamilton said.

There is currently no state level legislative push under consideration or being lobbied for by the West Virginia Coal Association in relation to these mining deaths, Hamilton said.

"The accident that occurred two weeks ago at the Leer mine and the one in Logan County, these things happened at mining operations that were considered to be the best of class. They occurred at operations where you have the mining company exceptionally strong in terms of its safety management programs. They're working very close with our federal and state agencies and safety professionals to try to figure out exactly what happened at both of those operations with an eye towards remedial or prevention programs which will be implemented immediately to prevent reoccurrences.

"They were being operated by probably the nation's top mine safety company which goes to show you can't relax any safety measure, [and] you can't take a step back no matter how good you're doing under the banner of mine safety," Hamilton said.