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[ Music ]
>> We interrupt this edition of KSRL's midday CP matinee to bring you a breaking news story.
>> Good afternoon, I'm Katherine Wolff.
KSRL News has a breaking story for you right now about falling sky in the western United States.
Details are sketchy at this point but the phenomenon seems to be localized
around surface mining operations.
KSRL correspondent Gerald Rivers [phonetic] is on location
and I'm told he has an eyewitness account.
Let's go to Jerry now.
>> It's Gerald, Katherine.
I'm out here in the west to substantiate rumors of falling sky.
Behind me we have an eye witness to the phenomenon, let's see what we can find out.
Sir, what's your name please?
>> Charles, Charles N. Little but you can call me Chick, Chick N. Little.
>> Mr. Little, and what did you experience out here today?
>> Well I was just driving down the road like I always do when I was going
to hunt some wild game, my elephants over there was tracking for long distances.
Anyway, I'm driving along and I'm going down this road and there was these cones
in the middle of the road and I didn't think nothing of it.
I'm going around like I always do.
Then shortly afterwards all of a sudden I see rocks falling and a big explosion
and there were siren alarms going off.
It scared me.
It scared me real bad.
>> And there you have it, a compelling account of what can only be described
as an alien sighting here in the west.
Back to you
>> It wasn't an alien sighting.
The sky isn't falling.
It was fly rock from an overburdened shot.
How did you get in here?
You've went through blast cones to come through the permit boundary,
we put this stuff up to protect people.
Fly rock can kill.
The people that do the blasting, they're trained.
They know what they're doing.
You don't know what you're doing in here.
The noises you heard, that's the pre-warning to an overburdened shot or coal shot.
You should have known something was wrong whenever you heard the sirens.
[ Sirens ]
If you're going to be on the site you need to know what those mean and pay attention.
You should be trained for it.
>> So why are you blasting anyway?
>> It's in preparation for the stripping for uncovering the coal.
We have to drill it and load the holes, tie it in and shoot it.
Those people that are doing the loading and the drilling, they're trained professionals.
Those barricades are there to keep you out.
You're not even wearing your hard hat, your PPE.
>> And what is PPE?
>> Steel toed boots, safety glasses, hard hat.
Why don't you just get off the property?
>> Ok well we'll be back right after this.
>> Thank you, Jerry.
So it seems the initial reports of falling sky have been confirmed
but the origins are slightly exaggerated.
Here's what we know so far, the falling sky is actually fly rock
from an overburdened blast on a surface mine site.
The noises chick heard were warning sirens that signal a blast.
Warnings are site specific and you need to be trained to recognize them.
People working in these areas are trained professionals.
They understand how to work safely with explosives.
Barricades put across the perimeter of the blast site are meant to keep you away from danger.
Pay attention to them.
As a final precaution, people in mining areas are required
to wear personal protective equipment or PPEs.
This includes a hard hat, steel toed boots, safety glasses and any other protective clothing
or gear deemed necessary by the mine.
KSRL has this account of a close call concerning fly rock, as told by Billy Sargent.
>> It's approximately four years or three years ago.
They were shooting an overburdened shot, consisted of about 55 to 60 foot holes
at 12 and a quarter inch in diameter.
We loaded the shot.
We tied it in.
We check the tie in.
We walk prior to shooting to make sure everything is hooked together.
And it was an everyday occurrence shot.
I was in the pickup, I was by myself at the time.
I was sole.
I was doing a countdown.
I hooked the shock tube to the initiator and I was firing the hold, pull the trigger.
Well it started out looking like a nice shot.
And then out of nowhere comes a vent fly rock situation.
A blaster's rule of thumb is that you never turn and run in a fly rock situation.
You stand and watch to take evasive action.
It better be diving under something, stepping aside.
When you turn and running from the situation, you don't know what's going to happen.
I was watching a chunk approximately the size of a basketball.
I don't know how big it really was but I compare it to a basketball.
And I watched as it went up and then I was watching when it came down
and something caught my attention and I took my eyes away from it for a moment.
Then I brought my eyes back to the situation and I couldn't locate the chunk.
And I was in a pickup.
It was a Crew Cab.
It was a four door pickup.
Something, and it's really amazing and it kind of makes me goose bumpy a little bit today,
is something told me to jump in the backseat.
And I bailed into the backseat at the same time that this basketball size chunk come
through the windshield, took the dash of the pickup out and broke the front seat.
In all actuality, I don't know why I'm here today.
It was a wakeup call.
I think about it, I think every time I initiate a shot I think about it and I guess I have
to talk to the man upstairs and say thanks.
If I would have laid down I wouldn't be here today.
>> Billy's account of the near disaster is a good reminder
to always be alert when working near a blast site.
We'll keep you updated on this story as more information is gathered.
This is Katherine Wolff with KSRL Eyewitness News.
[ Music ]
Good afternoon, I'm Katherine Wolff with KSRL News.
Today we have a follow up on yesterday's story about falling sky.
And as our field correspondent Jerry Rivers tells us,
there's more to this story than initially believed.
We're experiencing some difficulty with the audio feed from Gerald.
There's a severe wind storm in the area.
Please bear with us as we try to reconnect.
Jerry, are you there?
Gerald. Sorry folks, Jerry, you're on camera.
And now on location, Jerry Rivers.
>> It's Gerald, Katherine, Gerald.
Yesterday we learned the phenomenon of falling sky was not caused by alien attacks.
However the elimination of this possibility leaves us with a theory very profound
and disturbing that has grave implications for the entire United States.
Behind me you will see the structure,
which is the reason I'm wearing my personal protective equipment today.
We've learned of an attraction, a magnetic attraction,
between the walks in the wall and the steel toes in my boots.
As we said, if this phenomenon spreads from this area in the west,
it could have grave implications for every man, woman,
child and household pet in the United States.
>> What are you doing here?
>> Sir, I'm Gerald Rivers with KSRL News and I'm just wondering about the magnetic attraction
between the rocks in the wall behind me and the steel toes in my boots.
What can you tell me about that?
>> There is no attraction there.
It's coal and it's rock, there's nothing magnetic there.
>> Oh, then why is this structure here, sir?
>> It's a byproduct of us mining the coal.
>> Ok so you guys build these structures?
>> No, they're basically what's left after we've come through mining the coal.
>> And what about the danger then inherent in a structure of this size?
>> There's a lot of different things, vibration from heavy equipment, blasting procedures.
>> Oh the blasting, we know all about the blasting, Katherine.
>> Also ground water coming out, seeping out through the high wall causes instability.
Freeze, thaw causes instability.
Wind causes instability, rain, just our equipment going back and forth.
Several different things causes it but we have to protect ourselves against that.
>> That would be with the personal protective equipment like I have on right now.
>> Absolutely.
A hard hat is a real good idea.
If a little rock would come off a hard hat would protect you.
Our steel toed boots we have to wear protects you from foot injury.
Safety glasses protects you from getting something in your eye.
Any number of things can happen in a coal mine so you have to protect yourself.
>> So you say you build these structures using equipment here at the mine.
I don't see any equipment here now though.
>> Right at the present time this is an inactive part of the mine.
We're mining in other areas.
We used large drag lines to uncover the main seam of coal.
It moves a lot of dirt quick.
We use trucks to move the coal.
We use front end loaders.
We use backhoes to load the coal trucks.
We use motor graders to maintain the roads and keep them passable.
We even have water trucks to wet the roads down to keep the dust down.
>> And every open pit mine or every surface mine will have equipment
like that on some sort of scale?
>> That's correct.
In just about any kind of mine there is, a strip mine,
there's benches that you have to be aware of.
Aggregate mines have some type of a wall that you need to be aware of the dangers,
inherent dangers, of that type of work and protect yourself from it.
>> And there you have it, Katherine, another explanation
as to why the sky is falling here in the west.
I, for one, remain unconvinced and will continue to dig up the dirt here in the field.
Back to you in the studio.
>> There you have another account of the phenomenon of falling sky.
Once again it appears that Jerry's sources are a bit exaggerated
and that the falling sky is actually rock sloughing from high walls.
These structures will not naturally form or common on most surface mine sites
and post a danger to anyone not trained to work around them.
Today we have learned that high walls can be found at any type of surface mine,
metal, non-metal, coal or aggregate.
They are a result of the mining process and are made by the various types of equipment needed
to remove the material known as overburden from the mine.
High walls are not permanent structures and do fall apart over time.
Environmental factors like wind, rain and water can damage a high wall
and make portions of it unstable.
Extreme weather can break the rock apart as water freezes
and thaws repeatedly forming cracks in the wall.
Physical factors like blasting and operation
of large equipment near the high wall can also cause sections of the wall to become unstable.
Recognizing and avoiding these dangers requires training and constant vigilance
from every person working around high walls.
Tomorrow we will continue our quest for the truth about falling sky in the west.
Signing off for KSRL Eyewitness News, this is Katherine Wolff.
Goodnight.
[ Music ]
Good afternoon, this Katherine Wolff with KSRL Eyewitness News.
Today we will continue our coverage of the falling sky out west.
Investigative reporter, Jerry Rivers, is covering this story
and he's patched through live via satellite.
Jerry, are you there?
Oh for crying out loud, Jerry, you're on camera.
[ Music ]
>> Katherine, you're not going to believe what I just found.
It's a note from Mother Nature.
Yes, that Mother Nature.
Yes, Katie, the note is authentic,
I found it in the rocks.
Come on, do you know what this means?
This is way beyond aliens and magnetism, this is paranormal activity.
This is
>> Hey, what's going on here?
>> Nothing.
I just found this note over there in the rocks.
This is a note from Mother Nature.
It's proof of paranormal activity.
Do you guys have that a lot here at this site?
This is my Pulitzer.
>> Mother Nature doesn't send you a note.
Let me show you what's going on here.
>> We're going to get to the bottom of this.
>> So here at the mine we use good Science and technology to watch the movement of our walls
in case the material starts coming down.
The Engineering Department will help us and move these benches out.
In case we do lose a wall or a bunch material, they'll catch on these benches right here.
>> And what do you use to monitor the movement?
>> That survey gun you can see right over there.
He shoots over here to this movement marker, what we call a movement marker.
>> One of these things right here?
>> What the
>> Do you realize you just ruined 10 years of data?
>> I can fix it.
I can, there it's all better.
So other than the surveying equipment and the Engineering Staff,
how do you guys look for instability in the walls?
>> Well you can see it in the wall right there, for an example.
You can see that sheer plain right there.
You can see a whole bunch of rock laying up against that wall.
Eventually that's going to block topple away from that sheer plain and you're going
to have rock that will fall down.
Another thing we look for is bulging material that's coming
out of the high wall or out of the ground.
It means that something is going on underneath there.
We need to keep an eye out for that in case it caves in
or in case it's going to shoot out at you.
Cracks behind the edge of the pit, you need to watch out for those.
Never stand behind them.
Fresh rubble at the toe of the bench means you've got raveling coming off the benches.
You need to put a broom underneath it or just keep an eye on it
and make sure you're not going to lose too much of it.
Dust or pebble spitting out of the face of the high wall, just keep an eye on it.
Maybe it's just a whole bunch of pebbles rolling off that high wall.
Slips along the joints and faults, you can see a lot of them in this wall right here
where the earth is moving against each other.
Eventually that material is going to come out but you've got the benches
that catch it when it falls down.
Surface mines are also susceptible to weather.
>> How so?
>> When we get heavy rains or just even a small rain, that rain is going to find the cracks.
It's going to work its way through those cracks.
It's going to keep on seeping through there.
It's eventually going to break all that rock up and you're going to lose a high wall
or it's just going to continue draining down and you're going to get a trench built.
>> You on top of the hill there, you're going to have to stop now, ok?
>> It's everybody's job to be safe up here at the mine.
That's why we're trained this way to watch for all these hazards.
A lot of fatalities that have happened have been people that have been getting themselves
in between a piece of equipment and a high wall.
When a rock rolls down from a high wall they have no place to run so never put your back
to the high wall and never put yourself in between a piece of equipment and the high wall.
You're going to have the high wall that's going to start breaking down on you
or you have a whole bunch of loose material that hasn't been cleaned
up yet, we'll start scaling that wall.
>> Scaling, what is that?
>> We'll either take a loader and have that loader's bucket follow that face up
and break some of that loose rock off or I'll bring in a dozer and catch a whole bunch
of loose material on the bottom and he'll build himself a little bit of a ramp on the side
of that wall and he'll start chipping that loose rock away from that wall
and get us a nice, hard, sheer face on it.
We would never put a loader or a dozer in a situation where they were scaling a wall
that was beyond their site, it would be a 25 foot bench instead of a 50 foot bench,
because of the potential of the rock rolling of from a high area
and they wouldn't be able to back out of the way in time.
We have light plants that we set up in our pit.
Those light plants will help the crew watch the walls at nighttime,
just in case there is any movement on that wall.
Before I'd line them out I'll let them know.
If we're going to work underneath an unstable wall I'll have my truck drivers
and my loader operators, or dozer operators, keep an extra eye out on that wall
in case we are losing any material on it and if we are we'll usually set
up an extra light plant just facing that wall so they can keep an eye on it.
Anytime we have an unstable wall we put a berm 10 to 15 feet out from that wall.
We would never put our people in any situation that would be dangerous for them.
>> And what is a berm?
>> To keep the rock in and the people out.
>> Like a barricade?
>> Yes.
>> So you're telling me that this note isn't from Mother Nature.
>> Afraid not.
>> There's no paranormal activity?
>> No there's not.
>> Oh well gosh.
[thunder] The sky is falling.
The sky is falling.
>> Oh we seem to have lost communication with Jerry.
While we try to reestablish contact let's review what we've learned.
Despite Jerry's misguided beliefs and editorializing,
recognizing areas where rock can fall takes practice and vigilance,
not written notes from a supernatural entity.
Your best information on where dangers may lie will come as updates from the mines engineers
and geologists who are constantly monitoring the walls for movement.
While Mother Nature may not communicate directly with you,
there are signs of instability you may look for.
These include sheer plains that can slough off into the pit or onto a bench,
false or cracks in the walls that can cause major sections to fall all at once,
fresh rubble on the ground or on a bench that signifies loose material higher up on the wall,
bulging material in the walls or under foot
that can indicate a hidden stope or shaft from old workings.
If you see any of these conditions you should place a berm
around the area to warn others of the danger.
Berms are there to keep the rocks in and the people out.
Weather conditions also play a role in high wall safety.
To explain more about that here's KSRL chief meteorologist Kelvin Scale.
Kelvin.
>> Thank you, Katherine.
Weather can have a huge effect on our stability of our high walls, which are similar to cliffs.
What happens is that massive rain can come down and saturate the soil.
And this saturated soil becomes much heavier and gravity is pulling on it
and that water lubricates that rock and now it's smoother and now the force of gravity can pull
that rock down, squishing whatever is below us.
And so the weather is so important in order to check for our high walls, not just rain,
it can also be just a subtle snow that falls down and it melts and then overnight it expands
out and it opens up those cracks, making it easier for large blocks of rock to tumble out
and to crush vehicles and crush us, squish us to death.
Other things that could happen to us is over time the rock can just, can creep and move out.
So what we're looking for is signs.
What kind of signs are we looking for?
We're looking for rubble at the face.
We're looking for water oozing out of the back.
We're looking for cracks that are opening up.
And any one of these warnings, when we look, we want to stay away,
we want to ask our supervisors to investigate the place so that we can come
up to this area, we know that it's safe.
Thank you very much.
Take it away, Katherine.
>> Thank you, Kelvin.
Finally since most mining operations run around the clock we have learned that you need
to use lights to illuminate any areas of concern on the high wall.
This way miners won't be caught off guard by the sudden movement of material in the dark.
We are still having trouble contacting Jerry in the field so we'll sign off here and break
in for updates as events warrant.
For KSRL News, I'm Katherine Wolff.
[ Music ]
[ Music ]
Good afternoon I'm Katherine Wolff with KSRL Eyewitness News.
We've reestablished contact with Jerry out west
who claims he's infiltrated a secret government facility
and has discovered why the sky is falling.
We'll see if he's learned anything of substance today
or if this will be another half-baked tale of conspiracy and cover up.
Enlighten us, Jerry.
>> Thank you, Katherine, this is Gerald Rivers at an undisclosed location in the west.
The trail of falling sky has led me here to the secret government test range you see behind me.
The previous two theories that we forwarded to you were probably part of a program
of disinformation spread by the government.
I'm going to try to get to the bottom of this.
In fact, I wonder if any government agents are around me right now?
Katherine, I appear to be surrounded.
I'm going to try to go undercover to bring you more dirt.
>> It seems that Jerry may finally be on to something.
We'll check back with him a little later and see if he has anything,
well it appears that Jerry has some more information for us.
Let's go back to him live in the field.
Take it away, Jerry.
>> Thank you, Katie.
We're here at the secret installation in the west where I'm about to go undercover or native.
I've disguised myself as a miner and using this hidden camera we're going to get
on this haul truck to try to see what goes on here.
Now I have no idea what's going to happen here but with the kind of commitment I have
to the news, I'm willing to take this risk to my personal well-being for you, the viewer.
We're now cruising the haul truck where I can see if I can find the operators booth.
This piece of equipment this large can only be used for some sort
of heinous black operation, I'm imagining.
>> So, are you a new hire?
>> That's right, buddy, let's head down to the stope and blast around.
You got to be able to speak their language.
>> I'm afraid we don't have stopes here.
This is an open pit mine.
>> Oh well that's cool.
How long have you been driving one of these rigs?
>> It's not a rig.
I've been operating one of these trucks for about 10 years now.
>> Alright, great.
Hey, what was up with all those federal agents I saw running around here?
>> Oh that's MSHA.
>> MSHA? I knew it.
What's that for?
What does that stand for?
>> Oh that stands for Mine Safety and Health Administration.
>> Minds like brain washing and abnormal psychology?
>> No.
>> Mines like explosives, like land mines?
>> No.
>> No, then what does it stand for?
>> Well they're an organization that was developed to help look
out for the miner's health and safety when they're in mining,
whether it's open pit or underground.
>> Oh, well shoot.
>> Well if you're ready we can head on down to the pit.
>> Lead the way, Amigo.
[ Music ]
Oh golly, oh golly, Big Gulp, Big Gulp, 64 ounces.
Oh gotta go, gotta go, gotta go, G, E, alright, ok.
>> Hey, what are you doing over here?
>> What does it look like I'm doing?
>> You can't be in here.
Come here.
If you need to use the bathroom we've Got sani-huts set up there for that.
>> Oh ok.
>> You can't place yourself between a truck and a high wall.
These things are heavy.
They cause a lot of vibration when they're running around.
Any vibration can bring those loose rocks down.
Being back there is not a safe place.
You should never put yourself between a piece of equipment and a high wall.
>> Seems like a heavy truck would be a safe place to be though.
>> Yeah but you've got no place to go.
You're standing between the equipment and the high wall.
If that were to come down you've got no escape route.
>> Oh alright.
>> You think you can be safe here for a minute?
I've got to talk to this operator and I'll be right back.
>> Sure thing, pal.
I'll be here.
>> Hey Tudo.
[phonetic]
>> Hey Brad, what's up?
>> You see this guy over here?
>> Who is he?
>> I don't know but I just caught him between the high wall weeing all over the place.
>> Oh no kidding.
>> Yeah some kind of nut I guess.
>> Well this is a silver mine.
Let's see if we can find some silver.
No, it's probably shiny.
>> Check him out.
He's over by the high wall again.
>> Holy [beep] damn it.
>> Oh too big.
>> Hey what are you doing?
>> Just looking for some samples.
>> Didn't you understand what I told you about the high walls?
>> I'm not between the truck and the high wall.
>> No but you've got to stay a safe distance away from it.
That wall could come down.
Where you going to go?
You've got to stay out here.
>> Why you always yelling at me?
I thought miners were more relaxed than that.
>> Part of my responsibility is too look out for the safety of my coworkers
and make sure they're not doing something unsafe.
We all have a responsibility for looking out for everyone else.
You're not a real miner, are you?
>> No, I'm Gerald Rivers, Investigative Reporter for KSRL News.
>> You need to leave.
>> Oh.
>> In spite of the fact that our fearless reporter can't seem to discover anything factual
about mining in the west, much less the falling sky, KSRL News believes that the safety
of the mine worker is critical to a well-run operation and as such we urge you
to keep these points in mind when working near a high wall or stockpile.
Don't ever stand between a piece of equipment and the high wall.
If the wall gives out you have no place to run.
>> Oh God, oh God, oh God.
>> If you must leave your vehicle for a bio break,
there are safer places to do it than near a high wall.
Don't ever park equipment near the wall or the toe of a stockpile.
Material can slough off unexpectedly and bury you.
Don't store equipment at the toe of a high wall
because falling material can damage your equipment or you if you go to retrieve it.
Constantly make visual inspections in your work area because high wall conditions can change
at any time and you need to be ready to react.
Join us tomorrow for our final report on falling sky.
I'm Katherine Wolff for KSRL Eyewitness News.
[ Music ]
Good morning, I'm Katherine Wolff with KSRL Eyewitness News.
Today the KSRL News Team would like to begin by apologizing to our viewers
for the recent troubles we've had with one egotistical reporter
who couldn't recognize a news story if it came up and bit him in the butt
and gave him a business card, let alone report on a national crisis.
Sorry. We have one final word now from Jerry
who assures us he has finally unraveled the mystery of the falling sky.
Live from the twilight of his career, here's Jerry.
>> Thank you, Katie.
Well after a week's worth of in depth investigative reporting,
we've learned that the sky is not falling here in the west.
We have, however, had a happy ending to this story.
I'm not just talking about my ratings.
I now know all there is to know about surface mine safety.
>> Well Jerry, if you know everything about mining, why you walking along that edge?
>> It's Gerald, Wendy, but why don't you tell us?
>> Look at that open edge.
You have no berm to stop you from walking.
You've got people that undercut the wall, you get sloughing.
There's no support on that edge.
You could fall right off the edge.
>> Alright Katherine, now that I know all there is to know about surface pit safety,
we're going to wrap this up from here in the west.
>> Did you let them know about the old working and the stopes?
>> Why don't you enlighten us, Wendy?
>> See those two big holes back there against that wall?
Those are old stopes or old workings.
They're very dangerous.
When we're working in the pit they could open up underneath my equipment.
I could lose my equipment in them.
We carefully berm them or we fill them.
Another dangerous thing about them is they're full of gases.
You never know if they're going to get you so you need to berm them off or fill them.
>> Old workings?
>> Maybe from the old gold rush.
>> And you know what that means.
This is undoubtedly the final resting place of Al Capone's treasure.
Join us next week for an in depth report from deep inside the center of the earth.
For now, Katherine, I leave you and the audience at home with this final message, safety first.
Back to you in the studio.
>> Despite my coworker's enthusiasm about creating conspiracies and chasing windmills,
we'd like to reinforce a few points about safety around high walls.
You should never walk or operate equipment along the top edge of a bench or high wall.
The face could be undercut and could collapse beneath you.
Be aware of old workings in the area that might open up in your work area.
They can swallow you, your buddy,
>> Oh no.
>> Or even a large piece of equipment.
Check with your mine engineers if you are concerned about old workings.
That concludes this week's special report on falling sky.
Stay tune to KSRL for all of the news coverage you can handle and I'll see you
in a couple weeks when I return from my vacation to somewhere flat and tropical.
For KSRL News, I'm Katherine Wolff.
And remember, safety first.
[ Music ]
For KSRL News, I'm Katherine Wolff.
And remember, safety first.
[laughter] I can't do it.
I can't do it.
I can't.
>> These large pieces can tumble out at any time and if we happen
to be below it, we're squished to oblivion.
And so one of the things we have to
>> Charles, Charles, Charles N. Little, listen.
>> Little?
>> Little?
>> Charles Leno.
>> Blast the coal even so we can haul it to our plant.
I'm lost here.
>> How did you get in here?
What are you doing here?
>> Nothing.
[laughter]
>> Don't do the lip thing.
She was just talking about it and then he did it.
[laughter]
>> Yeah honey.
>> That's the first thing I see too is that damn mustache.
[laughter]
>> Oh no kidding.
>> Yeah some kind of nut I guess.
>> Speaking of nut, he's over by the high wall again.
>> I'm going to try to get to the bottom of this.
In fact, I wonder if there's any government agents around me right now?
>> We loaded the shot.
We tied it in.
We check the tie.
And we walk prior to shooting and make sure everything is hooked together.
>> Oh no, no.
Oh no.
[ Music ]