Mine accidents (see definitions below) require notification to the State Mine Inspector at the Bureau of Mine Safety in Socorro, New Mexico within 30 minutes. The toll free telephone number for reporting accidents at all times is 866-761-6039.
If you cannot reach this number please call the following personnel in the numerical order as listed until you are able to make contact.
Chris Hefner - State Mine Inspector: (505) 553-1532
TBD - Deputy State Mine Inspector: (505) 553-1535
Timothy Apodaca - NM Bureau of Mine Safety: (505) 553-1534
Bethany Carolus - NM Bureau of Mine Safety: (575) 835-5464
"Mine" Means:
1) An area of land from which minerals are extracted in non-liquid form or, if in liquid form, are extracted with workers underground;
2) private ways and roads appurtenant to an area described in Paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
3) lands, excavations, underground passageways, shafts, slopes, tunnels and workings, structures, facilities, equipment, machines, tools or other property, including impoundments, retention dams and tailings ponds, on the surface or underground, used in, to be used in or resulting from, the work of extracting such minerals from their natural deposits in non-liquid form, or if in liquid form, with workers underground, or used in, or to be used in, the milling
"Accident" Means:
1) in the case of a surface mine:
a. a death of an individual at a mine;
b. an injury that has a reasonable potential to cause death to an individual at a mine;
c. an entrapment of an individual that has a reasonable potential to cause death;
d. an unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting agent or an explosive;
e. an unstable condition at an impoundment, refuse pile or culm bank that requires emergency action in order to prevent failure or that causes individuals to evacuate an area or failure of an impoundment, refuse pile or culm bank; or
f. an event at a mine that causes death or bodily injury to an individual not at the mine at the time the event occurs; or
2) in the case of an underground mine or the surface areas of an underground mine:
a. a death of an individual at a mine;
b. an injury that has a reasonable potential to cause death to an individual at a mine;
c. an entrapment of an individual that has a reasonable potential to cause death;
d. an unplanned inundation of a mine by a liquid or gas;
e. an unplanned ignition or explosion of gas or dust;
f. an unplanned mine fire in an underground mine that is not extinguished within ten minutes of discovery or an unplanned mine fire within the surface area of an underground mine that is not extinguished within thirty minutes;
g. an unplanned ignition or explosion of a blasting agent or an explosive;
h. an unplanned roof fall at or above the anchorage zone in active workings where roof bolts are in use or an unplanned roof or rib fall in active workings that impairs ventilation or impedes passage;
i. a coal or rock outburst that causes withdrawal of miners or that disrupts regular mining activity for more than one hour;
j. an unstable condition at an impoundment, refuse pile or culm bank that requires emergency action in order to prevent failure or that causes individuals to evacuate an area or failure of an impoundment, refuse pile or culm bank;
k. damage to hoisting equipment in a shaft or slope that endangers an individual; or
l. an event at a mine