No. 21 Mine explosion
Encyclopedia
On December 8, 1981, 13 coal miners lost their lives as the result of an explosion
at the No. 21 Mine, an underground coal mine near Whitwell, Tennessee
.
The mine was owned by the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company and operated by a subsidiary, the Grundy Mining Company.
An U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration investigation determined that the explosion occurred when a miner's cigarette lighter
ignited a pocket of methane
gas. Investigators found the mine operator at fault for failing to adequately ventilate
the mineshaft, failing to evacuate
workers from an area with high methane levels, and failing to effectively enforce regulations that banned smoking
materials in mines.
In the 1983 settlement of a lawsuit
, the mine owners agreed to pay a total of about $10 million to the survivors of ten of the 13 miners who were killed. The No. 21 Mine closed in 1997.
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
at the No. 21 Mine, an underground coal mine near Whitwell, Tennessee
Whitwell, Tennessee
Whitwell is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,660 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
The mine was owned by the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company and operated by a subsidiary, the Grundy Mining Company.
An U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration investigation determined that the explosion occurred when a miner's cigarette lighter
Lighter
A lighter is a portable device used to generate a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame.- History :...
ignited a pocket of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
gas. Investigators found the mine operator at fault for failing to adequately ventilate
Ventilation (architecture)
Ventilating is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality...
the mineshaft, failing to evacuate
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
workers from an area with high methane levels, and failing to effectively enforce regulations that banned smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
materials in mines.
In the 1983 settlement of a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
, the mine owners agreed to pay a total of about $10 million to the survivors of ten of the 13 miners who were killed. The No. 21 Mine closed in 1997.