Cucumber Mine

Cucumber Mine is an underground coal mining operation in McDowell County, West Virginia, operated by Brooks Run Mining Company and owned by Alpha Natural Resources.

Mine Data

 * MSHA ID:	4609066
 * Operator:	Brooks Run Mining Company LLC
 * Controller:	Alpha Natural Resources LLC
 * Union:
 * County:	Mcdowell
 * State:	WV
 * Latitude:	37.29
 * Longitude:	-81.64
 * 2007 Production (short tons):	559,632
 * Coal Type:	Bituminous
 * Mining Method:	Underground
 * Mine Status:	Active
 * Average No. of Employees:	 114

Roof collapse
In 2007, two miners — 48-year-old James David Thomas and 33-year-old Pete Poindexter — died when a piece of mine roof that measured 8 feet by 9 feet by 18 inches thick fell on them at the mine. The section foreman, Richard Baugh, narrowly escaped being killed. In their final report on that incident, MSHA investigators concluded: "Thomas, Poindexter, and Baugh were allowed to travel closer than the minimum safe distance of 20 feet from the MRS [mobile roof support] machines specified in the approved roof control plan. ... The accident occurred because effective safe work procedures and practices specified in the approved roof control plan were not enforced by mine management. In addition, miners were not properly trained in safe work procedures for retreat mining."

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