Miners defend coal industry

The entrance to the Pike River Coal mine. Photo / Simon Baker

Coal miners are defending their industry as they await news about friends and colleagues trapped at Pike River mine.

Birchfield Ross Mining founder Evan Birchfield operates several mines on the West Coast, including an open cut coal mine 15kms from the Pike River mine.

He has rejected what he says are calls from some media to regulate or ban coal mining on the West Coast in the wake of the crisis.

"It's a big industry on the West Coast. It keeps a lot of people employed. It keeps a lot of towns alive.

"Because of coal mining we haven't seen the recession. I don't think this will turn people against us."

Mr Birchfield and many of his employees are closely connected to the men trapped at the Pike River coal mine.

He went to school with 59-year-old miner Allan Dickson, who is still underground.

The trapped miners' plight was personal and gut wrenching for a huge number of people in the West Coast coal industry, he said.

"I grew up with some of them. We've got family members that are touched by the situation.

"For all the West Coast it's pretty devastating and especially in the mining industry. It's really close knit here.

"We're just wait and see. It's a very delicate situation here at the moment until they can get into the mine."

Mr Birchfield said the explosion was difficult to explain given what he said were good safety procedures at the Pike River mine.

Several of his employees were scheduled to do work there this week and expected to receive a lengthy safety briefing.

Mr Birchfield said he did not expect there to be regulatory changes to the mining industry as a result of the explosion.

"Pike River were very safety orientated. I don't think it's going to change things."

Francis Mining director Brent Francis has workers among the rescue team ready to enter Pike River mine.

He has been with the team during their wait for gas levels at the mine to stabilise and confirmed the feeling among them is "bleak".

He refused to comment further until a rescue or recovery operation has been done.