Special mobile rescue unit can speed recovery
Since time is often a matter of life and death in a mine disaster, Mine Emergency Operations (MEO) personnel are prepared to begin rescue work at any mining site in the eastern part of the United States within six hours of notification, and within no more than nine hours in the western United States. The entire MEO force, including vans, trucks, bulldozers to clear and level the drilling site, seismic equipment, and the big drilling rig can be on any site within less than 20 hours of a disaster. The speed of deployment is made possible in some measure by a special agreement between MESA and the United States Air Force, which stands ready 24 hours a day to dispatch giant C-130 cargo aircraft to airlift the tons of bulky MEO equipment. While the big drilling rig is usually taken to disaster sites by highway, it can also be airlifted when necessary.
- OSTI ID:
- 7312694
- Journal Information:
- World Coal; (United States), Journal Name: World Coal; (United States) Vol. 3:4; ISSN WOCOD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Mine emergency operations of the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration
Development of a Mine Rescue Drilling System (MRDS)