In early January International Longwall News published an article on the Sago incident which stated traditional concrete barriers might have prevented the January 2 explosion from reaching the operations area of the Sago Mine.

MSHA officials cited the successful application of seals which contained an explosion in the Gary #50 Mine, West Virginia in June 1995. Media reports indicated the 1995 seals were conventional block seals, but a Minova spokesperson said they were actually Minova Tekseal pumpable seals.

Pumpable seals were not in use at the Sago mine at the time of the disaster.