MSHA, State Officials Dismiss Massey's "Act Of God" PR On Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Federal and state investigators on Thursday dismissed a Massey Energy assertion that the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster was caused by a freak flood of methane gas that the company could do nothing to control. Massey officials launched a public relations blitz focused on mine ventilation data they said showed "a sudden inundation of unusually high levels of methane gas," probably from a crack in the floor near the mine's longwall machine.

Government investigators said Massey's version of events doesn't add up, and criticized the Richmond, Va.-based coal giant for trying to divert blame in the worst U.S. mining disaster in 40 years. "The effort to place blame on God or another person is not an uncommon practice after disasters, particularly in the mining industry," said Davitt McAteer, Gov. Joe Manchin's special investigator for the disaster. "But investigations have almost always led to the conclusion that it wasn't God who did it."

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration issued a statement noting that high methane liberation like that at Upper Big Branch would be expected in the hours after a major explosion, and reminded that Massey had been repeatedly cited for mine ventilation and related violations at Upper Big Branch prior to the disaster. Twenty-nine miners died in the April 5 explosion, which mine safety experts have said was likely caused by the ignition of methane gas and was made far worse -- blasting through 2 1/2 miles of mine tunnels -- by the buildup of highly explosive coal dust.

The disaster is the focus of multiple civil investigations, a congressional probe, and prompted federal prosecutors to begin their own examination, looking for possible criminal wrongdoing related to hundreds of Upper Big Branch safety violations dating back more than four years. Over the last few months, nonunion Massey has engaged in an aggressive public relations campaign to point fingers at MSHA. Joe Main, the United Mine Workers' longtime safety director, currently runs MSHA. The Obama administration has repeatedly blasted Massey as a scofflaw that puts profits ahead of worker safety. In the midst of Massey's media blitz Thursday, MSHA released to reporters a memo by Greg Wagner, the agency's deputy assistant secretary, alleging that Massey's campaign is meant to "deflect the blame" and avoid "multimillion judgments" in wrongful death cases.

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