Fifteen regional mine rescue teams will compete against one another during the Post 5 mine rescue contest Aug. 9-10 at West Virginia University. The contests events will be staged at the Shell Building and Rugby Field beside the Coliseum.
In the contest, mine rescue teams from West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio vie to be the best at demonstrating their problem-solving skills during a simulated mine emergency. To make the contest more competitive, five of the top teams will be invited to compete on the second day, Aug. 10. They will work another mine rescue problem, and the team with the lowest score on the second day will be the winner of the contest.
WVU ’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources’Mining Extension Service Post 5, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration District 3 and the West Virginia Office of Miners’Health, Safety and Training are sponsors.
Two eventsa mine rescue contest and a bench contestare scheduled. Registration for the mine rescue contest will be from 6-7 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, in the Shell Building, with the contest starting at 8 a.m. at Rugby Field. The bench contest starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, in the Shell Building. The final five mine rescue team contest will begin at 7 a.m. at Rugby Field.
The mine rescue event tests the rescue teams’abilities to evaluate an emergency situation in an underground coal mine and rescue any surviving miners. In the bench contest, a benchman must identify predetermined deficiencies in a self-contained breathing apparatus worn by miners and correct the problems.
Rescue teams are assigned the same emergency problems. They are judged on their procedures and speed.
Following is a list of teams and the events in which they will be competing.
Mine Rescue Contest (15 teams): Consol, Blacksville No. 2 Team, Wana, W.Va.; Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, New Stanton, Pa.; Consol Pa. Coal Co., Enlow Fork Mine, West Finley, Pa.; Consolidation Coal Co., Dilworth Mine, Rices Landing, Pa.; Consolidation Coal Co., Buchanan No. 1 Mine, Buchanan, W.Va.; Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Twilight, W.Va.; Island Creek Coal Co., Island Creek, W.Va.; Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek A Team; Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek B Team; RAG Cumberland Resources LP.,Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; RAG Cumberland Resources LP., Emerald Team, Waynesburg, Pa.; Southern Ohio Coal Co., Meigs No. 2 Mine, Athens, Ohio; Southern Ohio Coal Co., Meigs No. 31 Mine, Athens, Ohio; and Windsor Coal Co. (AEP), Windsor, West Liberty, W.Va.
Bench Contest (17 entrants): Dave Blankenship, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Southern Appalachia, Twilight, W.Va.; Tom Bochna, RAG Cumberland Resources LP.,Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Randy Bombach,, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Enlow Fork Mine, West Finley, Pa.; Willie Bowman, Southern Ohio Coal Co., Meigs No. 2 Mine, Athens, Ohio; Chuck Cloward, Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek B Team; Emmitt Cox, RAG Cumberland Resources LP.,Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Dale Exline, Southern Ohio Coal Co., Meigs No. 31 Mine, Athens, Ohio; Reggie Lambright, Consolidation Coal Co., Buchanan No. 1 Mine, Buchanan, W.Va.; Ernie Martinez, Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek B Team; William McLaughlin, RAG Cumberland Resources LP.,Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Harry McGinnis, Eastern Associated Coal Corp., Federal No. 2 Team, Fairview, W.Va.; Gene Menozzi, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, New Stanton, Pa.; Lee Montoya, Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek A Team; George Motte, Plateau Mining Corp., Willow Creek A Team; Harry Powell, RAG Cumberland Resources LP., Cumberland Resources Mine Rescue, Waynesburg, Pa.; Danny Rush, Consol Pa. Coal Co., Bailey, New Stanton, Pa.; and Gerald Saunders, Consolidation Coal Co., Buchanan No. 1 Mine, Buchanan, W.Va.