Montcoal West Virginia: Massey Energy's Coal mine Explosion - Video and Map

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Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine Explosion - Video


Video Description
On MSNBC, Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward Jr. tells Rachel Maddow the latest details about the explosion at Massey Energy subsidiary Performance Coal Co.'s Upper Big Branch Mine-South between the towns of Montcoal and Naoma.

Massey Energy Responds To White House Statements
April 15, 2010. Source: Massey Energy Company, Press Release 

Massey Energy Company responded today to statements from the White House on the Upper Big Branch mine tragedy.

Today's statements by the White House about the Upper Big Branch tragedy are regrettable. We fear that the President has been misinformed about our record and the mining industry in general.r> As to our record, we note that in 2009, under this administration, MSHA presented Massey Energy with three "Sentinels of Safety" Awards - the highest number of such awards ever received by one company in a single year.

There has been criticism regarding the backlog of violations that have been appealed. There have been violations at Upper Big Branch that the Company does not agree with and a number of those violations have been appealed. The percentage of violations appealed at UBB and Massey is similar to that for the industry as a whole.

The enormous backlog of appeals waiting to be heard has been frustrating to all involved. We urge Congress to appropriate the funds necessary to enable this system to work better by helping government regulators to resolve the enormous backlog at MSHA. Regardless of the backlog, however, it's important to understand that all violations must be fixed and are fixed to the satisfaction of state and federal agencies before mines are allowed to continue operating. Most violations are fixed the same day they are discovered.

Massey believes in safety, accountability and responsibility. We seek the truth in the ongoing investigations and are cooperating with federal and state agencies to determine the cause of the tragic accident at Upper Big Branch Mine. Unfortunately, some are rushing to judgment for political gain or to avoid blame. Our goal is to communicate transparently as the facts unfold.

Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and is included in the S&P 500 Index. SOURCE Massey Energy Company

Massey board pledges thorough W.Va. mine probe
April 15, 2010. Source: AP 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Massey Energy's board says it's committed to a thorough investigation of the explosion that killed 29 men at its Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia.

The board's statement Thursday says it will do what's necessary to fix problems uncovered by investigators. The April 5 blast is the nation's worst coal mining disaster since 1970.

Federal and state mining regulators are investigating, and Gov. Joe Manchin has appointed a former top federal mining official to conduct an independent probe.
West Virginia mine safety chief Ron Wooten says investigators aren't expecting to enter the mine until the week of April 26. The mine has to be safe and free of dangerous levels of gas before federal and state investigation teams can start looking for a cause.. Read complete article.

Montcoal West Virginia Mine Explosion Tragedy for Town, Massey Energy, and WV Economy
Source: philly2philly.com by Dennis Bakay at 11:44 am on Tuesday April 6, 2010

The Montcoal West Virginia Mine Explosion has killed 25 people and four others are unaccounted for according to CNN.

In addition to the Montoal Mine Explosion being the worst mine disaster since the Utah mine blast in 1984, it will also reap harm on a fragile West Virginia Economy which has an unemployment rate of 11%.

It's hard to tell what a ripple effect this will have on West Virginia's economy, but it could be substantial.

Shares of Massey Energy fell nearly 10 percent one day after the Montcoal Explosion. Massey Energy owns the mine. Massey Energy is the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States with substantial operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Massey's mines yield around 40 million tons annually. Read complete article.

Interactive Satellite Map
Explore the Montcoal West Virginia Mine. Click the placemark. To Pan: click and drag or take advantage of the pan and zoom bars. 


 
 


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Jun 3, 2014