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On January 19, 2011, federal mine safety officials said that a water-spray system that helps suppress explosive [[coal dust]] wasn't functioning properly when the Massey Energy Co. coal mine blew up. Kevin Stricklin, coal administrator for the [[Mine Safety and Health Administration]], also said the carbide cutting teeth on a piece of mining equipment inside the mine had worn down, which can increase the number of sparks from the machine. The worn bits likely caused an initial [[methane]] ignition, he said. The water sprays and cutting teeth are part of a massive cutting machine at Massey's Upper Big Branch mine, called a [[longwall mining]] shearer that would grind back and forth across the coal seam.<ref name=km>Kris Maher, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704590704576092010277086204.html?mod=googlenews_wsj "Mine-Blast Probe Finds Malfunctioning System, Equipment"] Wall Street Journal, Jan. 19, 2011.</ref>
Shane Harvey, Massey's general counsel, said the company found that after the explosion eight out of 44 sprays on the shearer were missing. He said the sprays could have been damaged as a result of the explosion and wouldn't have had an impact on suppressing a spark or a fire. MSHA officials said they believe the explosion occurred at the shearer, and that a small ignition of methane burned for 60 seconds to 90 seconds before reaching coal dust and exploding through the mine: "We think it was small and then turned into a coal-dust explosion," said Mr. Stricklin. He said the agency hasn't entirely ruled out a roof fall or a conveyor belt as a source of the initial ignition.<ref name=km/>
==History of Safety Violations at the mine==