The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released a report citing lightning as the cause of the Sago mine disaster which killed 12 miners, according to The New York Times. As OMB Watch reported in March, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) claims friction within the mine caused the explosion. UMWA President Cecil Roberts called the MSHA report "far-fetched." UMWA has blamed MSHA and the mine's owner for conditions which made Sago susceptible to such a horrific explosion. Claiming an "act of God" such as lightning would certainly reduce the culpability of the owner and federal regulators. This controversy is still far from settled.