"Top Ten" Massey Energy Mines Had 2,400 Safety Citations - In 2009 Alone - NPR

[hatrack]

An NPR News Investigation shows that the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia is not the only Massey Energy mine with a litany of safety violations, citations and fines.

Twenty-nine miners died last week in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine. Federal mine safety records document repeated safety problems at that mine. Now, NPR's analysis of federal records indicates a similar pattern at nine other Massey mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.

NPR reviewed 2009 safety inspection records available from the Mine Safety and Health Administration for all 35 active underground coal mines owned by Massey Energy.

Four Massey mines had injury rates more than twice the national rate last year. The national rate is 4.03 injuries per 200,000 worker hours. Massey's Tiller No. 1 mine in Tazewell, Va., had the company's highest injury rate at 9.78. The other high-injury mines are Slip Ridge Cedar Grove (9.18) in Raleigh, W.Va., M 3 Energy Mining's No. 1 (8.86) in Pike County, Ky., and Solid Energy Mining's Mine No. 1 (8.49), which is also in Pike County.

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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125864847

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Sooooooo The big question is, and was from the beginning:WHY THE HELL WAS THE MINE STILL OPERATING?

Why were any of them still allowed to remain open???

I had heard that that exact mine had been cited for Methane leak problems earlier on the very day of the explosion!!!!!

[hatrack]

2. Well, when you can buy yourself a State Supreme Court justice . . . .

. . . for you, things are . . . different than they are for other people.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. oh..i see. i knew there had to be a good reason....

:silly:

[XemaSab]

4. I think we finally have an answer to the all-important question

"How many is a brazilian?" :P

[depakid]

5. Anyone think that those responsible at Massey will ever be held accountable?

Or will this be yet another instance where the pursuit of justice will involve too much drama for Obama.

[backwoodsbob]

6. woohoo Tazewell is number one !! we win !!

oh wait...