RE: RE: Pike River Disaster Inquiry str8, I'm not sure what chris is saying about Mr. Ellis, but I spoke with Mr. Ellis on the phone shortly after he was appointed VP Operations for Compliance Coal.
I had concerns about his appointment as a PR issue only, and not anything to do with responsibility over the Pike River incident whatsoever as I had done intensive dd after the news.
Mr. Ellis was quite approachable and answered all my questions regarding his involvement at Pike River along with his current role at CEC. In total he was there approx. 8 weeks, but during that time, he wasn't on site continuously as he was in the transition of moving his family and purchasing a home nearby.
Could Mr. Ellis have somehow prevented the accident? I highly doubt it as much was to blame with mine design and mining techniques, which he had no involvement in, while those that did, never showed for the enquiry. Mr. Ellis showed the courage to stay on at Pike River and he was there for the entire enquiry.
Mr. Ellis also got an official release from the Department of Labour and was exonerated of any wrongdoing with that regard.
He told me that his experience at Pike River will make him a strict "policeman" when it comes to mine safety and training.
That's all I have to say about this. I believe Mr. Ellis will prove to be a valuable asset for CEC moving forward as he has vast experience in underground mine production and when CEC gets the permit to go ahead, he will be there to help facilitate an efficient and safe transition from mine construction to coal production. JMO