West Virginia mine owner accused of putting safety second

W.Va. mine owner accused of putting safety second
By TIM HUBER, AP Business Writer – 2 hrs 26 mins ago


JULIAN, W.Va. – The coal mine rocked by an explosion that killed at least 25 workers in the nation's deadliest mining disaster since 1984 had been cited for 600 violations in less than a year and a half, some of them for not properly ventilating methane — the highly combustible gas suspected in the blast.

The disaster at the Upper Big Branch mine has focused attention on the business and safety practices of the owner, Massey Energy, a powerful and politically connected company in Appalachia known for producing big profits, as well as big piles of safety and environmental violations and big damage awards for grieving widows.

"There are mines in this country who have operated safely for 20 years," said J. Davitt McAteer, head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration in the Clinton administration. "There are mines who take precautions ahead of time. There are mines who spend the money and manpower to do it."

He added: "Those mines haven't been blown up."

Four other miners were missing and feared dead underground in Monday's blast, believed to have been caused by a buildup of methane, a naturally occurring gas that is odorless and colorless. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mine_explosion_massey_energy

What an insensitive inhumane piece of scum.

need them anymore. Companies know how they're supposed to act and they'll do the right thing because they'll get in trouble if they don't.

Makes me want to fucking vomit.

why not last week?

last month?

year?

wtf?

fuckers! (excuse my english but no other word comes to mind I'm so pissed) :mad:

Don Blankenship absolutely does not put safety second, and the AP is sucking around for a big, fat libel suit for printing that. Safety has never even cracked the top five of Mr. Blankenship's priorities, and the insinuation that safety ever got as high as second is insulting to the greed, graft, bribery, personal aggrandizement and public bamboozlement that have been the hallmarks of his career.

I smell retraction.

DUzy :D

Yes, "dead" is grimly appropriate.