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White House Unveils Shift in Nuclear Strategy; West Virginia Governor Addresses Media; Coal Company's Stock Falls; The Help Desk Has Answers; It's Not Over Yet

Aired April 06, 2010 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for your top-of-the hour reset. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is noon at the Pentagon where President Obama's national security team is about to announce a revised U.S. nuclear weapons policy.

And in West Virginia right now, an agonizing way for family members. Four coal miners missing 1,200 feet under the earth. We are also awaiting a news conference with West Virginia's governor. We will bring that to you as soon as it happens.

So let's do this, let's get started.

First now, let's get you straight to the Pentagon. I believe we're about to hear from Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Let's take you there live.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: a balanced and comprehensive approach to dealing with the role of nuclear weapons in America's national security.

I'm pleased to have Secretary Clinton and Secretary Chu joining us to make this announcement. Their presence is indicative of the importance of the issues and the significant interagency cooperation that the review enjoyed.

Both Secretaries Clinton and Chu, as well as Admiral Mullen, will make brief comments in a moment, and then we'll take three or four questions, limited to the NPR and START.

The NPR provides a road map for implementing President Obama's agenda for reducing nuclear risks to the United States, our allies and partners, and the international community. This review describes how the United States will reduce the role and numbers of nuclear weapons with a long-term goal of a nuclear-free world.

Driven by the changing nature of the security environment, the NPR focuses on five key objectives: first, preventing nuclear proliferation and terrorism; second, reducing the role of U.S. nuclear weapons in the U.S. national security strategy; third, maintaining strategic deterrence and stability at reduced nuclear force levels; fourth, strengthening regional deterrence and reassuring U.S. allies and partners; and, finally, sustaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal.

To these ends, the NPR includes significant changes to the U.S. nuclear posture. New declaratory policies remove some of the calculated ambiguity in previous U.S. declaratory policy.

If a non-nuclear weapons state is in compliance with the Non- Proliferation Treaty and its obligations, the U.S. pledges not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against it. If any state eligible for this assurance were to use chemical or biological weapons against the United States or its allies or partners, it would face the prospect of a devastating conventional military response.

Still, given the catastrophic potential of biological weapons and the rapid pace of biotechnology development, the United States reserves the right to make any adjustment to this policy that may be warranted by the evolution and proliferation of biological weapons.

The review rightly places the prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation at the top of the U.S. nuclear policy agenda. Given Al Qaida's continued quest for nuclear weapons, Iran's ongoing nuclear efforts, and North Korea's proliferation, this focus is appropriate and, indeed, essential -- an essential change from previous reviews.

The NPR concluded that stable deterrence can be maintained while reducing U.S. strategic nuclear vehicles by approximately 50 percent from START I levels, a finding that drove negotiations for the new START treaty with Russia. The United States will pursue high-level, bilateral dialogues on strategic stability with both Russia and China that are aimed at fostering more stable, resilient, and transparent strategic relationships.

This NPR determined that the United States will not develop new nuclear warheads. Programs to extend the lives of warheads will use only nuclear components based on previously tested designs and will not support new military missions or provide for new military capabilities.

We will study options for ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of nuclear warheads on a case-by-case basis. And any decision to proceed to engineering development we will give strong preference to options for refurbishment or reuse.

Replacement of any nuclear components, if absolutely necessary, would require specific presidential approval.

Correspondingly, the United States must make much needed investments to rebuild our aging nuclear infrastructure, both facilities and personnel. I have asked for nearly $5 billion to be transferred from the Department of Defense to the Department of Energy over the next several years to improve our nuclear infrastructure and support a credible modernization program.

There are also areas of continuity in this report. Among them, first, the United States will continue to hold accountable any state, terrorist group, or other non-state actor that supports or enables terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction, whether by facilitating, financing, or providing expertise or safe haven for such efforts.

Second, we will maintain the nuclear triad of ICBMs, nuclear- capable aircraft, and ballistic missile submarines.

Third, we will continue to develop and improve non-nuclear capabilities, including regional missile defenses, to strengthen deterrence and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our overall defense posture.

And, finally, the United States will continue abiding by its pledge not to conduct nuclear testing.

This NPR, while led by the Department of Defense, was from beginning to end an interagency effort, and I want to express my appreciation for the contributions from all departments, but especially the leadership of Secretary Clinton and Secretary Chu.

In closing, I'd like to thank the men and women at the Departments of Defense and Energy, including the national labs, who are critical to sustaining our nuclear arsenal. Their important work underwrites the security of the United States, as well as that of our partners and allies.

Secretary Clinton?

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Thank you very much, Secretary Gates.

And let me begin by thanking you for your leadership in this effort and for the collaboration that persisted throughout it.

The Nuclear Posture Review we are releasing today represents a milestone in the transformation of our nuclear forces and the way in which we approach nuclear issues.

We are recalibrating our priorities to prevent nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism, and we are reducing the role and number of weapons in our arsenal while maintaining a safe, secure, and effective deterrent to protect our nation, allies and partners. This NPR provides a foundation on which we and our allies can build a more secure future.

This review is important not only for what it says, but also the way in which it was conducted. I believe it is the first unclassified NPR in its totality.

Secretary Gates is responsible for making this the most inclusive Nuclear Posture Review in history. Admiral Mullen, the Joint Chiefs have been instrumental in working through a lot of the issues that have been raised.

The Department of Energy has brought its expertise to the table. And I'm very proud of the role that the State Department played in helping to set the policy, and we'll be working with our allies and partners to explain it and implement it. So it truly was a collaborative effort in keeping with the agenda and goals set by President Obama.

The consultations that supported this process included more than 30 of our allies and partners.

(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)

HARRIS: All right. Let's leave this briefing at the Pentagon and get the latest on the mine disaster in West Virginia from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GOV. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Fourteen have been located and we know that have passed away. Four, we don't know. Three of those are in the section, the mining section to where it's the only -- it's the only shelter that hasn't been checked.

You know, as horrific as this explosion was -- and I had to explain to them that I don't want to give anybody any false hope, but, by golly, if I'm on that side of the table and that's my father or my brother or my uncle or my cousin, I'm going to have hope. And I think you still see people clinging on to hope. And it's very difficult. It's a very, very decision.

We know the names of 18 people that are still there. We don't know the fate of four. And three were in a section where it was an area we couldn't get to and couldn't check.

And so that's the situation that we're in. And that's the anxiety that people are having right now. And it's just very difficult.

The families are doing very well. They're -- as I said before, there's no family like a West Virginia family, because they'll take care of you, they'll take care of their own family, and bring anybody else in that wants to be part of their family. So they're doing what they do best, they're loving each other, they're hanging together here. But, you know, it's very difficult for them.

So Ron Wooten is head of our Mine Safety and Health. And his responsibility is the mines of West Virginia. We have our friends from MSHA, Joe Main and Mr. Stricklin.

You've been here for a while, haven't you?

So if there's any questions, there's not a whole lot except that they're going to be drilling four holes now, I understand -- or three, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought there was -- yes, three for ventilation and one for (INAUDIBLE).

MANCHIN: So there's four rigs. You just can't believe the operation that's going on, on that mountain. I can't even explain to you how you're taking such a huge piece of equipment, the size of a trailer truck, cutting a road in the side of the mountain, getting it back and setting it up, and start drilling. It's the most unbelievable. And God bless them, they're out there giving it all they have.

And it's a slow process. It's just going to be a slow process.

QUESTION: Governor?

MANCHIN: Yes?

QUESTION: Can I ask you -- I just spoke with an expert who said this mine is known as a gassy mine. Coupled with what were dozens of safety violations, just in the very last month, was this disaster preventable?

MANCHIN: Let me go from our state and our federal people, who basically had the responsibility of looking and doing all the mining inspections. So --

KEVIN STRICKLIN, ADMINISTRATOR, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION: That's an easy answer. All explosions are preventable. It's just making sure you have things in place to keep one from occurring.

From MSHA's standpoint -- and I'm sure Mr. Wooten does the same things from the state -- we put minimum parameters in place that a mine operator would need to follow to ensure that he has enough air and enough ventilation to keep an explosion from occurring. Not only an explosion, an ignition. And it's quite evident that something went very wrong here for us to have the magnitude of this explosion.

So it's apparent that something was wrong. And I would just ask to give us an opportunity to conduct a full investigation. And we'll leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom and tell you exactly what was not going right here when this explosion did occur.

QUESTION: Governor, can I ask you, as the chief executive of the state, some officials have described the people who are operating this mine, Massey, is among the worst offenders when it came to violations. They have a long history not just here at this mine, but across the board for violations, fines, lawsuits, settlements.

As the chief executive of this state, are you comfortable with the way Massey has been operating?

MANCHIN: I'm not comfortable any time there's an accident, no matter who it is. So let me just tell you where I stand.

When Sago (INAUDIBLE) -- 1968 farming, my uncle and our family, OK, nothing had been done up until 1968 since the (INAUDIBLE) miner came in, ,in the '50s. Why?

We have a horrible explosion in Farmington, 78 miners. Then they have the Mine Safety Act passed. Nothing had been done since the '70s up until Sago and Ericomo (ph).

I knew we could make -- I kept saying that we didn't get rapid response, we didn't have oxygen, didn't have communications, didn't have shelters. So when people get trapped, I want to make sure they have a chance so we can bring them out alive.

We made changes, historic changes, in one day. I can't sit here and any excuse, or nor do I intend to. I can only tell you when the investigation is completed, and these people do their job, and they'll give us the findings, and there's anything at all that could have been preventable, or things we can do that will give us an indication that something is out of kilter or out of whack, if you will, we'll pass -- if legislation is needed, we'll pass it immediately.

If not, then I would expect the professionals to change their position or how they do this. We've been talking about that. Right now, everybody is in a recovery mode. We're hoping that we can still, by a miracle, recover some miners that are still alive.

QUESTION: Governor, you know the record of this company. You know their history of violations. You know their history of court action. You know their history of beating (ph) back fines and violations.

Just answer the question, are you comfortable with the way Massey has been operating in your state as a whole?

MANCHIN: You're never comfortable when you have this. And what I'm going to do, I just asked the same question you're asking me to my chief here, Ron Wooten, and to Mr. Stricklin. Let them explain this process, how this works, because a violation that you would think -- as someone says, someone's in violation, I'm going to believe that that must be a very serious, egregious violation. Why would that continue?

There are so many things. And the people that work with this every day I think can give you a better explanation of how they work with it, how they inspect, what they look for, what they would consider.

I can tell you this -- I have said if something is to where a person's health is jeopardized and their safety, stop it. Shut it down.

They know how I feel. I was very clear. And I'm still very clear about that.

QUESTION: Governor (OFF-MIKE). Give us a sense comparatively --

MANCHIN: The mine? The size of the mine?

QUESTION: Of the explosion.

MANCHIN: Oh, the explosion.

(CROSSTALK) MANCHIN: Let me tell you -- well, I can only say that when the rescuers that were in the mine and saw what they were able to see until they had to come out, and the type of damage that was done, that it had to be a horrific explosion to cause that type of damage.

QUESTION: For instance?

MANCHIN: For instance, rails, cars, buggies and heavy equipment, train rails that go back in, look like they had been twisted like a pretzel. That's horrific. That's an explosion that is just beyond proportion. And the heat that would come off of that explosion that's caused that would be something.

Ron might be able to shed a little bit of light on what the process is.

RON WOOTEN, DIRECTOR, WEST VIRGINIA OFFICE OF MINERS" HEALTH, SAFETY AND TRAINING: Let me just say first that I certainly endorse what Kevin Stricklin said about the investigation. We have to get into this investigation. It's going to be lengthy. We need to find every single thing we possibly can that possibly went wrong and make sure that it doesn't happen again.

As far as a violation issue is concerned, let me just say this -- and I think the federal and the state laws are very similar -- once an inspector finds a citation -- or finds a violation -- that inspector is to write a citation. The operator is then given a period of time to correct that violation. If the operator doesn't correct that violation in a timely manner, a closure order is issued.

The fine comes after the fact. Well after the fact, after the violation itself has been corrected, the conditions of the violation have been corrected.

Kevin.

STRICKLIN: After the disasters in 2006, MSHA and the congressional folks, Congressman Rahall, was a big supporter in changing the laws to make it safer through refuge chambers, lifelines, SCSRs, better stoppings. And the one other thing that was added to it was the increased assessments for violations.

The intent was to increase the amount of fines so it's just not a way of doing business for coal mine operators. And I think that has served its purpose.

However, it still gives the operator the opportunity for due process. He is not guilty until proven innocent. He's basically innocent until proven guilty, and he gets his opportunity to go to court and basically challenge any violation that has been issued by one of my inspectors.

And that's not only for a Massey mine, that's any mine in the country. And that's something that is in place today, and that's something that the regulations allow. You're asking if I had the ability to shut a mine down based on what I find, and the answer to that is no. Once a mine operator corrects the condition and makes it safe again, I can't allow -- or I can't allow my inspector to say, you keep that mine shut down. When the condition is corrected, they're allowed to go back to mining.

HARRIS: OK. So you're listening there to Kevin Stricklin with MSHA.

Boy, did you hear what he said earlier at the top of this news conference? He said something went very wrong in the Upper Big Branch mine. That's for sure.

The governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, who, we should mention, has lost an uncle and friends in mining accidents, hanging on to hope that the four miners who are still unaccounted for will be found alive. Twenty-five miners, as you know, are dead, and the rescue effort is on hold. On hold because the air in the mine is just so toxic right now. Four holes have to be drilled into the side of the mountain to, at the beginning here, release some of that bad air.

And moments earlier, the president's national security team announcing plans to reduce existing nuclear stockpiles, not building a new generation of nuclear warheads. And the defense secretary, Robert Gates, announcing limits on when the U.S. might use nuclear weapons. Secretary Clinton saying the United States will maintain a safe, secure nuclear deterrent.

Let's take a break and talk about both of these stories in more detail in just a moment.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. We've just heard from members of the president's cabinet on the country's new nuclear strategy.

Joining me now from Washington, Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association.

Daryl, good to talk to you.

Let's start here. What was, in your view, the real news here? Put a fine point on this announcement for us.

DARYL KIMBALL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARMS CONTROL ASSOCIATION: Well, I think this review, which is done about every decade, moves us towards a narrower set of missions for U.S. nuclear weapons. This follows a trend that began at the beginning of the end of the Cold War. But this nuclear posture review reorients U.S. nuclear weapons policy to recognize that the greatest threat facing us today is not a bold-from-the-blue attack from Russia, but the threat of proliferation, the threat of nuclear terrorism. And so it narrows the missions for U.S. nuclear weapons, ruling out the possible use of nuclear weapons to deal with chemical or biological threats, and most conventional threats, which is only common sense because of the United States' overwhelming conventional superiority. And it opens the way to further reductions with Russia and other countries to reduce global stockpiles. But it's clear in this review that the Obama administration sees this as a step-by-step process that has to be taken forward very carefully.

HARRIS: Let's hear from the president. The president announced his intentions for nuclear weapons to the world in Prague about a year ago. Let's listen to what he had to say then. And then I've got a question for you on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, today I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I'm not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly. Perhaps not in my lifetime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, I've got to tell you, Daryl, I've heard some pushback already that, with this announcement, we are backing away from nuclear weapons too aggressively.

What's your view of that?

KIMBALL: Well, I don't think that's true. It's clear that the United States is going to continue to have a large and more than sufficient number of nuclear weapons to deter any other nuclear threat. We have to recognize that today, only Russia has a nuclear arsenal the size of the United States. Today, each side has about 2,000 deployed strategic weapons.

Those will come down in that new START treaty you heard Secretary Clinton talking about today. That is far more than any other potential nuclear adversary. China only has about 40 missiles, long- range missiles armed with nuclear weapons.

So, this, I think, is a very commonsense approach. The other important point of this posture review is that the United States is ruling out the development of new types of nuclear weapons for new military purposes.

That was a controversial element of George Bush's nuclear posture review back in 2001. And that is going to be very helpful in winning global support to strengthen the Nonproliferation Treaty at an upcoming conference next month at the United Nations in New York.

HARRIS: Yes. I want to talk about that in just a moment here.

Clearly, the president seems to be saying, look, follow our lead here, and the work that we're doing with Russia. How about the argument that, look, this is a nuclear world. You can't unring the bell. That with more nations trying to acquire these weapons, it would be silly not to advance the technology?

KIMBALL: Well, our technology, our nuclear technology, is extremely advanced. The question that we have to ask -- and I think this posture review has answered -- is, you know, how much is enough?

We do not benefit today from developing new and more deadly types of nuclear weapons. That will only give other countries a cynical excuse to do the same.

HARRIS: Right.

KIMBALL: The threats that we face today are not nuclear threats from Russia, frankly. Not even nuclear weapons threats from Iran, at least not yet.

What we need to do is we need to organize an international coalition to stop the spread of these weapons and to stop the materials that could be used to make these bombs into nuclear weapons. And so, in that context, nuclear weapons take on a far different role, I think a lesser role, and that's reflected in this 80-page document which, by the way, is all unclassified, which is I think an important development. It allows the American people to see this and judge this for themselves.

HARRIS: You know, I've got one more for you, and I know this is a difficult question. I don't know that we know the answer to it, but I'll ask it anyway, because you spend so much time doing work in this area.

When do these moves begin to pay off with Iran, with North Korea? When does Iran, in particular, with its crumbling economy, reduce western investment, right, credit trade and the threat of new sanctions, give something back to the world community on its nuclear program?

KIMBALL: Well, Iran is not a problem that's going to be solved quickly. I think, as many have said, there's no silver bullet. There's no package of sanctions that's going to turn Iran around overnight.

Military strikes are not going to change Iran's mind about pursuing nuclear technology. The key is going to be over the next few months to organize international support for a more focused set of sanctions at the Security Council.

An important part of that is demonstrating that the United States is doing its part to fulfill it is obligations to reduce the role in the salience of nuclear weapons while still, as the secretary of defense said, retaining our capabilities, so long as there are nuclear weapons. So I think we may begin to see some results after this Nonproliferation Treaty review conference in New York at the Security Council.

HARRIS: In May, correct? KIMBALL: Well, the Security Council will be looking at this in May, perhaps in June. It's not clear when they're going to decide on the sanctions package. And I think the Obama strategy of offering to engage with Iran has helped us win the support of Russia and China in pursuing a tougher sanctions package. So I think we may begin to see the results of the Obama strategy, the broader strategy, just in the weeks ahead.

HARRIS: All right. Daryl Kimball, appreciate your time. Thank you, sir.

KIMBALL: Thank you.

HARRIS: Twenty-five coal miners killed, four unaccounted for. The explosion at the mine in West Virginia is the deadliest in the United States in 25 years.

Here's what we know. Here's the latest.

The search and rescue operation for the missing miners is on hold because of dangerous methane gas and carbon monoxide. Safety officials say it could take up to two days to drill holes to ventilate the mine.

West Virginia's governor tells our John Roberts officials will get to the bottom of the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But, Governor, here's the big question, is how did the methane, or combination of methane and coal dust, build up to the point that you could have a massive explosion like this? This is a company that has been cited numerous times for problems with its ventilation plan. Did something go wrong with that, that allowed for a sudden increase in the amount of gas?

MANCHIN: We're going to find out, I'll tell you that. We will find out. And we will do whatever it takes, but we're going to find out.

You know, you have both the federal investigators, which is MSHA, and you have the state. I can't -- and I'm not blaming anybody. I'm going to wait until I see the facts, just like we did before with Sago and Ericomo (ph), and we knew immediately.

And it's just horrible that you have to have a horrific disaster such as this, but we're making changes. We're trying to stay ahead of that curve. We're doing everything we can. I've just got to see what the facts are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Governor Joe Manchin will be a guest on CNN's "CAMPBELL BROWN" program tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

For some family members, it is an agonizing wait to learn the fate -- OK -- of their loved ones in the mine disaster. Others have already learned the tragic news.

Once again, our John Roberts talked to relatives of Benny Willingham (ph), a veteran miner who died in the explosion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: What is it like to live in this life knowing that every day, loved ones like your grandfather go down so deep under the ground and every day, to some degree, is a roll of the dice?

TIFFANY, BENNY WILLINGHAM'S GRANDDAUGHTER: It's really scary. It's really, really scary. My stepdad also does that. And this is just a wakeup call to me. I seen it happened before but I never imagined I would be here today telling my story about it.

ROBERTS: Jean, how long has he been a miner? Was his the typical story?

JEANNIE, BENNY WILLINGHAM'S SISTER: More than 30 years.

ROBERTS: So, was it right out of high school or when did he go down into the mines?

JEANNIE: Not long after high school. Not long after high school. And he loved it. And he was a very, very hard worker. And he loved the Lord and he said in church the other day, he said, the Lord -- he thanked the Lord for saving his soul and he thanked him for watching over him in the mines for over 30 years and he said, if he takes me tomorrow, I've had a good life.

ROBERTS: Michelle, what is it that you want to know today from the mining company?

MICHELLE, BENNY WILLINGHAM'S DAUGHTER: We want to know -- excuse me -- why we have not been contacted. No one from Massey has called my mother or any of us children or his mother. He still has a mother that is home grieving. We don't know where my dad's body is at. We want some answers and we want them today. We want answers. We are very upset.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh, boy. Mining for coal hundreds of feet underground. In their chosen trait, danger could be lurking behind any wall. They know the risks. We will break them down for you next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: You know the method being used by miners where that explosion happened was a process adopted from Europe long ago and considered a lot safer today. So what went wrong down there? Tom Foreman broke down the risk of long walled mining on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a type of mining that was actually pioneered in England several hundred years ago, but has really caught on in the past 30 years here because of new technology, primarily because mine owners have believed that this new technology might allow them to automate further, which would reduce the risk to miners and produce more coal.

So let's take a little section of the land here. If we were to cut part of this out just like that, and we were able to move this aside and say, this is what it looks like underneath. This is from YouTube. A fellow put together a demonstration of what happened with the long wall mining.

You may notice here that this is a seam of coal. And you'll see how there have been little rooms cut in on the sides over here. This is the beginning of long wall mining. You cut off an area like this. You create a field. And this may be enormous. It's like 800 feet across here. Can be as much as a mile or more long this way.

And then this is what happens. They start cutting away at the face of that. It's about eight feet tall. They cut, cut, cut, cut, cut. You can see a tremendous amount of coal would come out of it cutting this way.

But I do want to point out that this video is a little bit deceptive because what you don't see here is, as they're cutting all that coal out, you're not creating a big, giant room here. What you're doing is you're allowing it to all collapse in behind you as you cut. So you're actually filling in all of this area with the mountainside collapsing behind you. And the actual working area is actually only about 15 feet or so from the face right up in here. So this is the area we're looking at when we're focusing on this idea of long wall mining.

Now, I'm going to move this one aside because I want you to look now a little bit closer at what this actually looks like. This is the machine that does it. It's a little hard to see here. This is from the government. But it's a video they had online.

You can see, this is the type of cutter that moves along that face cutting at that face of coal. Here's the cutter over here. Here are the workers over here.

Now, I want to stop this for a moment. You see the big wheel turning there? That may be cutting 3.5 feet of coal at a time deep into the walls. So you can see a tremendous amount coming off.

This, over here, are shields that are put in. They're hydraulically supported. There may be 100 of these in a row to give these workers and these machines a way to move back and forth across that face. You can the shield comes up here and over the top. Tremendously powerful. These shields could support the weight of an entire locomotive and all the cars with it, up to 600, 800 tons at a time of weight on the top. But again, only about 15 feet of space here. Here's the other important part I really want you to think about as we go through here, Anderson. As we roll through, you have all of this space here. That grinding on the surface up front produces an enormous amount of coal dust. That's what you're seeing right there. And that's the issue of ventilation here.

What are the dangers? If you have this kind of operation going on, on the face of coal, you have this issue of coal dust building up. That's a potential threat because it's enormously explosive. You also have the threat of methane building up if it's not vented enough. Also enormously explosive. And, because of all the weight here and the width of this, you always have the danger of some kind of structural collapse. Again, many people believe this is less likely to produce a structural collapse than the other method of cutting out little rooms and leaving pillars. But, nonetheless, when you put all of these together, this is a danger.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Wow, that was fascinating.

The business of coal. The owner of the mine at the center of a disaster under scrutiny in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK, top stories for you in the NEWSROOM.

In West Virginia, it could be two days before it is safe for crews to resume their search for four miners. They are still unaccounted for after yesterday's massive explosion at a coal mine. The blast killed at least 25 miners. Right now, crews are drilling bore holes so toxic gasses can be ventilated.

Changes in U.S. nuclear strategy. The Obama administration is out with a more restrictive policy. It narrows the circumstances that could lead to the U.S. using such weapons, at the same time it seeks to assure allies that they'll still be protected.

Elian Gonzales is still in the spotlight in Cuba. You may recall the boy was found floating off Florida after his mother and other Cubans trying to get to the United States drown. Remember these pictures? Ten years ago this month, the federal agents took him from his Miami family and returned him to his Cuban father. Now, check these pictures out. New pictures of Gonzalez who is now 16 years old. They show him in a military uniform at a meeting of the Young Communist Union.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Just checking out our site, cnnmoney.com, just to find out what the big story is there. A consumer watchdog for your wallet. A lot of other stories of interest there at cnnmoney.com. Seventeen percent of office space in the country sits empty. What else here? Ten highest paid CEOs. Cnnmoney.com if you want the latest financial news and analysis. Let's look at the New York Stock Exchange now because there's not much happening with the Nasdaq. That's pretty flat. And we're trading in negative territory with the Dow down 16 points. We're following these numbers for you throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Shares of Massey Energy plunged today after the deadly explosion at one of the company's coal mine in West Virginia. I guess that makes a certain amount of sense. Here's Stephanie Elam of Money team, is following that story, and she joins us from New York.

Is that about right, Stephanie, makes sense that that company would take a bit of a hit today?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony, you know, when you take a look at a story like this, no doubt it's a tragic human story. But Massey Energy, this is the company that runs the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia, they're also a company, so we wanted to make sure that we took a look at the business side of the story as well.

HARRIS: Yes.

ELAM: And the business itself is really a big one. This is the fourth largest U.S. coal company. It has operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Last year it had sales of nearly $3 billion. And, right now, because of this story, shares of the company are tumbling more than 10 percent.

But the stock has had a good year. Even after today's decline, it will still be up 17 percent for the year so far. But we don't know what caused the accident. That's exactly the issue. That's going to bring a lot of scrutiny on the part of the public and government. And for Wall Street's point of view, they don't really like to see that. That uncertainty gives them concern so -- because they don't know what the investigations will turn up. So because of that, that may play into the stock, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes, we heard Kevin Stricklin of MSHA saying in the news conference at the top of the hour something went really very wrong.

ELAM: Clearly, yes.

HARRIS: That's for sure.

What's Massey's track record when it comes to safety? What are you finding out there, Stephanie?

ELAM: Yes, you know, Massey has had some problems in the past. Although we have to keep in mind that generally just by the nature of what they're doing, mining is a dangerous job. So you're going to run into more problems.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

ELAM: Last year there were 18 deaths in the entire mining industry. And that's actually the safest year on record.

Now as for Massey, the Upper Big Branch mine, the site of last night's blast, it had three deaths in the past 12 years. And, overall, Massey has been fined for several incidents at other mines. Some also involving fatalities. The company says, quote, "our top priority is the safety of our miners and the well-being of their families. We are working diligently on rescue efforts and continue to partner with all of the appropriate agencies."

So no doubt about this one. As this develops, Tony, we'll be hearing more and more about this.

HARRIS: OK, Steph, appreciate it. Thank you.

ELAM: Sure.

HARRIS: And a quick reminder, Stephanie will be back in just a couple of minutes with members of our financial "Help Desk" team answering your money questions. First, a break.

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ELAM: Time now for "The Help Desk" where we give you answers to financial questions you've been sending in. Joining me this hour, Ryan Mack is the president of Optimum Capital Management and Lauren Young, she's with Turbo Tax.

Thanks so much for joining me.

All right. First question is from Edward. He says, "I bought a house in 2009. The title transfer tax was a significant amount of money. Is it true that despite it being a tax, it's not deductible?"

Lauren, what do you say?

LAUREN YOUNG, TURBO TAX: Well, I think he's a little confused because it's actually a fee. Sometimes they call it a tax, but it's true, it is not deductible, Edward. Sorry, you can't use it.

ELAM: Because it's a fee. There you go.

YOUNG: Correct.

ELAM: All right. Next one from Edwin in New Jersey. He says, "I was laid off in July 2009 and I'm currently on my wife's health insurance plan. Can my son, from a previous marriage, be added to my current wife's health insurance plan? He's in college and he doesn't have health insurance."

Ryan.

RYAN MACK, PRESIDENT, OPTIMUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT: Well, first of all, if he's in college, that's a temporary residence. Where was he living before? If he was living with you, he can be covered under your current wife as her stepson. But if he's not living there, you probably can't. So -- also make sure that half of his living expenses he does not cover himself.

ELAM: So we're kind of coming up with two nos here today, guys. All right.

Of course, "The Help Desk" is all about getting you answers. Send me an e-mail to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com. We might just have the answer right here next week. You can also pick up the latest issue of "Money" magazine. It's on newsstands now.

HARRIS: Reforming health care may be a done deal, but don't tell that to Republicans in Florida. Some of them are counting on voter outrage giving them extra momentum in November.

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HARRIS: Selling the new health care law in Florida, but who is buying? A top House Democrat got an earful at her first town hall meeting since it passed. And Jim Acosta tells us, Republicans are lining up to use it as ammunition in the fall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Don't tell these protesters outside this congressional town hall meeting in Florida the debate over health care reform is over.

ACOSTA (on camera): Are you a little nervous about this?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: No, I'm not nervous.

ACOSTA (voice-over): That's despite threats Democrat Debbie Wasserman Shultz says she received in the days after health care reform became law.

SHULTZ: But we've received a couple of threats that we had to turn over to the police.

ACOSTA: Unlike some rowdy town halls around the country before the health reform vote, Tea Partiers this time around didn't have the best seats in the House. Instead, it was reform supporters who had staked out the front rows ready to give the congresswoman a warm welcome. When the local fire marshal declared the event hit its capacity, hundreds of protesters were left outside the event to sound off.

SHULTZ: That's what we need to make sure this remains, a civil and civic forum.

ACOSTA: So the congresswoman's staff drew constituent's name from a box. Sometimes the questions were straight down the middle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like so many people think that the new health care law is going to raise their taxes.

SHULTZ: That's not the case. We -- for the vast majority of Americans, they will actually see an improvement in their health care. Their costs will go down.

ACOSTA: Other questioners got down right testy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want you to tell -- explain to me and defend the dirty deals, the back room deals on this health care.

SHULTZ: You asked your question and I'm happy to -- OK. No, I've heard you question. And I'm going to answer it. So if you can sit down, I'd be glad to answer your question.

ACOSTA: And as the night dragged on, the volume only went up. Both inside --

SHULTZ: You are not welcome to disrupt this meeting.

ACOSTA: And out, especially when one man was tossed out of the event by police.

ACOSTA (on camera): For Debbie Wasserman Shultz, this should be a safe district. She won her re-election in 2008 with 78 percent of the vote. This time around, she has eight Republican challengers, all vying for the GOP nomination to take her on in the fall. They hope health care reform will be their ticket to victory.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: It is flat out go time. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks very much.