Plugged drains at Stobie Mine in area where miners died: inspector

More details are being heard about the hazardous conditions at Stobie Mine in Sudbury the night two men were killed in 2011. On Tuesday, a Ministry of Labour inspector answered questions about his findings before a coroner's jury.

Miners Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier were killed in Vale's Stobie Mine on June 8, 2011 by a run of muck in Ore Pass No. 7.  A coroner's inquest is being held at the Sudbury courthouse.

Inspector Harsimran Kalsi said there were about five plugged drains in the area of the two ore passes involved in the run of muck that killed Chenier and Fram.

The jurors have heard that excess water, both pooling and running, causes muck to behave unpredictably.

On Tuesday, Kalsi noted Ore Pass No. 7 was angled rather than vertical, but said that should not have been a problem as long as the right consistency of muck that is not too wet was dumped in.

At the dumping access to the ore pass, the jurors heard there was simply a hole of 2.5 metres in diameter and no grizzly or mantle, the metal sizing covers that filter out the bigger rocks.

Kalsi said without this grate, bigger rocks in the mix may have contributed to a hang-up in the Ore Pass No. 7.

As for the workers having to stand in an exposed area to see into the ore pass, Kalsi said he approved of the idea of installing a remote camera on the ore gate so the workers could view the ore pass from a safe distance.

Vale is expected to testify soon about safety improvements the company has made after these two fatalities.