Three Schuylkill county men face charges of involuntary manslaughter as the result of an October 2006 explosion which killed a worker at a Tremont Township coal mine.

David Zimmerman, 52, and Steven Zimmerman, 32, both of Pine Grove, and Jeffrey Klinger, 42, of Tremont were arrested yesterday.

David Zimmerman is the owner of the Buck Mountain Mine in Tremont Township. Steven Zimmerman is a mine foreman.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said a grand jury found the fatal explosion which killed miner Dale Reightler was caused by a dangerous accumulation of methane due to inadequate ventilation, failure to conduct inspections, failure to follow proper blasting protocols, and failure to properly monitor methane levels in the mine.

David and Steven Zimmerman, the grand jury found, were responsible for allowing the dangerous conditions to exist in the mine.

Klinger, a mine employee, is accused of failing to follow proper safety procedures prior to detonating the shot that lead to Reightler's death.

In addition to involuntary manslaughter, the three face charges of causing or risking a catastrophe and reckless endangerment.

All three men were released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

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