Patriot Coal resumes operations at West Virginia mine threatened by dangerous gas levels

Patriot Coal resumes operations at W. Va. mine

ST. LOUIS — Patriot Coal Corp. resumed operations at a West Virginia mine evacuated last month due to dangerous air in a sealed area.

The coal producer, based in St. Louis, said Wednesday an enhanced ventilation system was implemented at the Federal No. 2 mine after receiving the approval of the Labor Department and the U.S. Mine Safety & Health Administration.

Operations at the mine near Fairview, W. Va., were suspended Feb. 18 when employees detected a mixture of methane and oxygen that was out of the normal range, Patriot Coal spokeswoman Janine Orf said Thursday.

The problem was corrected within about an hour but the suspension remained in place while the company revised the ventilation plan, Orf said. No injuries were reported.

U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration rules require action if methane gas levels in sealed areas reach explosive levels. The rule was adopted after 12 men died when methane exploded in a sealed area of the Sago Mine in West Virginia on Jan. 2, 2006.

Shares of Patriot Coal fell 61 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $19.13 in midday trading.