Idled underground coal mine in Donkin suffers another rockfall

About five weeks after it was idled due to unstable roof conditions, the underground coal mine in Donkin, N.S., has suffered another rockfall.

Scott Nauss, senior director of inspections and compliance with the Department of Labour, said no one was injured in any of the 13 rockfalls that have plagued the mine since it first opened to production a little more than three years ago.

Kameron Coal closed the mine March 30 and left behind a small maintenance crew to keep pumps, ventilators and electrical systems running, citing geological conditions after the roof fell in a dozen times.

Nauss said a stop-work order was issued on Monday after workers found the latest rockfall in one of the mine's two entrance tunnels.

"All rockfalls are unexpected, but yes, the higher-risk areas tend to be in the coal seam and at intersections of the roadways within the coal seam," he said.

"This one actually occurred on a straight section of a travelway, so it is unexpected in that regard."

The province also issued compliance orders requiring the operator to assess the cause of the latest rockfall and to clean it up.

Nauss said all work has stopped until the latest orders are lifted.

"The only work that can take place right now is tied to the compliance orders, so really tied to the assessment and the actual cleanup of the rockfall ... and any maintenance that is directly associated with those tasks," he said.

Of the 13 rockfalls that have occurred in the mine, four were in vacant or abandoned areas, said Nauss. Seven happened in coal production areas and two were in the entrance tunnels.

Size of latest rockfall

The latest did not completely block the entrance tunnel, he said.

Nauss said the rockfall was 4.6 metres long, 3.7 metres wide and 2.4 metres high.

"To put it in perspective, this rockfall will be considered smaller than the average preceding rockfalls," he said.

Kameron Coal declined to comment.

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