BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – A grand jury has returned a federal indictment against a former United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) employee. Jerry Gale Kerns is charged with destruction of property by means of an explosive device. He is accused of using an explosive to damage a methane gas pipeline on Warrior Met Coal property on March 23, 2022. At the time miners had been on strike for almost a year. After the explosion, Warrior Met Coal linked it to the on-going labor dispute.