Mojave Underground on MSHA site

[Mike]

So I just recently came across this article on msha.gov while google searching "site:.gov "Mojave Underground""

This article (posted to the web 12/08/200 is labeled under "Accidents that could have resulted in a fatality, but did not. " As far as I'm aware, there was no accident, nor was there any chance of it. I've drafted a letter to MSHA regarding this article, requesting it be removed. Pending our legal departments approval.

[hr:8ea31bd3ff]

To Whom it may Concern:

My name is Michael Capps. I am the President of Mojave Underground Inc, and recently came across an article on your site at the following web address:

http://www.msha.gov/sosa/Nearmisses/2007/20070605.asp

I would like to disagree with the information posted about my organization and our discovery of ‘a room full of sweating dynamite’.

To start off, the date on the article is 06/08/2007. Mojave Underground was not founded until Sept. 22, 2007. Therefore it would have been impossible for Mojave Underground and its members to have come across such a location. The room in question was not discovered until summer of 2008.

Second, this room with dynamite is well below freezing temperatures. Dynamite must be within an operating temperature for nitroglycerin to be effective. Depending on the dynamite questioned, this temperature is usually around 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

Third, dynamite has a life span where nitroglycerin looses its effectiveness. Generally, the lifespan is about 40 years, during which time, the dynamite becomes more unstable. After appx 40 years, the nitro has had enough time to become inert, rendering the sticks as harmless. These sticks are dated 1947, making the sticks 61 years old at the time of finding.

Lastly, the room was discovered by trained and experienced explorers, who know proper protocol and procedure when around explosive materials.

Later examination of these sticks by an expert revealed the sticks to be completely inert. The title of the site in question is “Accidents that could have resulted in a fatality, but did not.” This title labels this occurrence as having had an accident, in which there were no fatalities. There were in fact no accidents of any kind. We question the source and accuracy of repeating inaccurate info. If MSHA insists on repeating inaccurate and unsupported facts, we will review same to see if our organization has been libelled. It is the official request of Mojave Underground Incorporated to have this article removed from msha.gov website, and its records.

Regards,
Michael Capps
President
Mojave Underground Inc.


[hr:8ea31bd3ff]

We will see how they respond. More than likely, our friendly DOGM tipped them off, seeing how they do keep very close tabs on this site.

[rhartill]

absolutely amazing

Amazing that they are listing this trip and exploration as a near miss. Similar to listing a rescued animal that falls down a shaft as a "near human fatality"
This is borderline libelous...they need to immediately remove this OR provide the source and prepare to explain why they feel it is not indeed libelous...

[Mark1955]

Exactly! And dynamyte was also found at Gold Hill a couple summers ago dated 1927. Several of the sticks were very carefully removed from the mine, again by experts, and detonated with the aid of a bottle of Tannerite. The resulting explosion was completely Tannerite and not the dynamyte. It was obviously harmless! If the Feds are so worried about explosions they might want to stop and think about eliminating Tannerite since a gallon of that stuff is more than capable of destroying an entire automobile.

Mark

[Mike]

Very good point! We did the same think with a blasting cap and dynamite found in the War Eagle Mine in CA, and it blasted the dynamite to pieces, but not an ounce went off. I think that stuff was from the 50s.

[ExpUt]

Near miss eh? Pretty broad description lol. What a joke. By their logic I get into a "near miss" head on collision every time I sit behind the wheel, I mean the chance is there right? Nice rebuttal letter Mike.

[one_bad_rover]

I would throw in there that you want any refernces to MU or their images removed, copyrighted stories and such... thats what keeps most people from swiping the stuff of GRE, that and most of it is video now.. there is a method to all of it...

[Mike]

Mr. Capps,

I am writing in response to your February 27, 2009 email concerning a June 2008 incident that is posted on MSHA’s website.

Please know that this incident is one of hundreds of such reports that are provided to us by local, state and federal agencies. We rely upon these agencies, and other resources, for this information so that we can post the most comprehensive list of mine related incidents as possible.

As a regulatory agency, MSHA does not have the statutory authority to prevent people from entering abandoned mine properties. Our Stay Out-Stay Alive campaign is a public service to inform and educate the public – especially our nation’s youth – about the potential dangers they can encounter at active and abandoned mines. The information posted on our website is simply one part of this public service. It is not intended, directly or indirectly, to discredit or assign fault to any person or organization.

We have made several changes to the Stay Out-Stay Alive web pages. First, the date of the incident you referenced has been corrected. Secondly, we have now identified non-fatal occurrences as “incidents” in place of “accidents.” This is a more generic term that does not infer or state that there was an accident that resulted in an injury—although these situations overwhelmingly result in the serious injury of one or more individuals. Finally, we have reworded the June 17, 2008 incident so that it does not reference your organization or use the term “sweating.”

Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at this email account.

Sincerely,

Frank Meilinger
U.S. Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration
Program Manager, Stay Out-Stay Alive

_____


Looks like the removed the article all together from my searches.

[rhartill]

MSHA moved it to 2008 and masked the group's name

It's here:

http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/Nearmisses/2008/20080617.asp

It NOW says:

06/17/2008

While visiting an abandoned mine, members of a Utah mine exploration group discovered a room with approximately 30 loose sticks of dynamite.

They get kudos for changing some of the most offensive language, but they are still calling this an incident that MAY or COULD have resulting in injury, but did not.

Since there are only 2 mine exploration groups in Utah, it isn't hard to backtrack this to MU....

I suppose we can submit every trip into them as an incident. I almost got gassed by the US Army when I drove to Ophir, but since they didn't release any nerve gas that day, I could have been injured, but wasn't....