Kentucky Declares State of Emergency After Coal Plant Collapse

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Facts

  • Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in Martin County on Wednesday after a coal plant collapsed on Tuesday night, killing one worker and leaving one other trapped.1
  • At least two workers at Martin Mine Prep Plant were reportedly removing machinery and preparing the 11-story building for demolition when it crumbled around 6:30pm local time.2
  • The workers were on the bottom floor when the plant — which had been decommissioned for several years — caved in, trapping the pair under tons of rubble.3
  • Local fire departments and emergency response agencies are involved in the ongoing, elaborate rescue operation, which the authorities have stated is dangerous and could take up to several days.4
  • According to Martin County Sheriff John Kirk, rescuers have been able to contact the trapped worker, but the effort to extricate him is immensely complex due to the scale of the collapse.4
  • Meanwhile, authorities have launched a probe into the incident with Lexington Coal Company LLC, which had contracted Skeens Enterprises LLC for site demolition and salvage operations. The probe could take as long as six months to complete.5

Sources: 1The Hill, 2NBC, 3FOX News, 4CBS and 5Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by PBS NewsHour. This incident is a reminder of the inherent danger of the work undertaken by so many Americans across the country, especially as the nation is in a period of transforming infrastructure and removing outdated and dangerous structures. Kentucky is in the process of mobilizing all state resources to rescue these trapped workers.
  • Narrative B, as provided by NBC. Aging and defunct coal plants are more susceptible to collapse as they aren’t usually built with a specific planned or enforced retirement age. While the priority is to phase out the oldest and least efficient plants as the US transitions to renewable energy, more must be done to keep worker safety in mind and avoid such tragedies in the future. It is not enough to say this process involves risk — authorities must make preventative efforts in future demolition and construction projects.