Sunday, April 14, 2013

Few answers in Bingham Mine slide as impact weighed


Mining • Inspectors await stability in pit before production can resume; MSHA engineers expected on-site Monday.
 
By Jennifer Napier-Pearce
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published: April 12, 2013 09:01PM
Updated: April 13, 2013 11:23AM
image
Photo taken by Rio Tinto-Kennecott Copper The company had been monitoring movement along the copper pit’s northeast wall since February and evacuated all personnel from the mine more than 12 hours before the slide Wednesday night.
   
The Bingham Canyon Mine remains closed more than two days after a huge landslide occurred within its pit, leaving unclear when full operations might resume.

Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper, which operates the mine, is calling the size of the slide “significant,” while the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) labels it a “large massive ground fall.” Neither Rio Tinto or MSHA have specific information yet about its magnitude or full extent of its impact.

The company had been monitoring movement along the copper pit’s northeast wall — called the Manefay fault system area — since February and evacuated all personnel from the mine more than 12 hours before the slide Wednesday night. But a company statement Friday acknowledged that the slide was larger than expected.

“We do know that the flow into the pit extended beyond the scenarios we forecasted, having a greater impact on equipment,” the statement reads. “We are confirming there was some damage to equipment and to a building structure in the mine.”

There were no injuries.

Although all employees have been asked to report for work on their shifts, the mine will remain closed until MSHA inspectors and the company’s geotechnical experts have deemed it stable.

MSHA spokeswoman Amy Louviere said MSHA personnel are on-site, adding that no one has been inside the mine since Wednesday morning.

MSHA technical support engineers are scheduled to arrive Monday to assess the area.
Louviere said MSHA had been aware of the slide-site’s instability since February was alerted to the slide Wednesday at 10:27 p.m. by Kennecott.

“When it comes to the safety of people, there are no shortcuts,” Bennett said. “We continue to cooperate with (MSHA) in every way.”

jnpearce@sltrib.com

—
What is known
The breadth of the slide was larger than anticipated.
There was unexpected damage to equipment and a building.
All employees have been asked to report for work on their shifts.
The mine will remain closed until inspectors have deemed it stable.
 
Kennecott to keep refining after huge slide in Utah copper mine
April 12, 2013 • By Bob Mims And Steven Oberbeck The Salt Lake Tribune
Kennecott Utah Copper said Thursday its Bingham Canyon Mine experienced a large landslide, but no injuries were reported. The slide occurred about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday along the pit mine's northeast wall, said Rio Tinto-Kennecott spokesman Kyle ... Full Story
March 15, 2013 • The Salt Lake Tribune
Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives and the archives of the Utah State Historical Society in a special series called A Look Back. Today, we are showcasing memorable photos of the war in Iraq since it has been 10 years... Full Story
March 25, 2013 • The Salt Lake Tribune
Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives and the archives of the Utah State Historical Society in a special series called A Look Back. Today, we are showcasing photos of the Utah State Penitentiary from its days in Sugar... Full Story
March 29, 2013 • The Salt Lake Tribune
Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives and the archives of the Utah State Historical Society in a special series called A Look Back. Today, we are showcasing photos from the early 1900s of recreation in Utah's ... Full Story
April 7, 2013 • The Salt Lake Tribune
Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives and the archives of the Utah State Historical Society in a special series called A Look Back. Today, we are showcasing photos from 30 years ago when heavy floods in Utah tur... Full Story
April 12, 2013 • The Salt Lake Tribune
Each Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune presents images from its archives and the archives of the Utah State Historical Society in a special series called A Look Back. A devastating fire of 1898 in Park City is our subject today. Park City suffered terrib... Full Story
April 12, 2013 • By Jennifer Napier-pearce The Salt Lake Tribune
The Bingham Canyon Mine remains closed more than two days after a huge landslide occurred within its pit, leaving unclear when full operations might resume. Rio Tinto's Kennecott Utah Copper, which operates the mine, is calling the size of the s... Full Story