Massey Energy found guilty of egregious safety violations that led to the deaths of twenty nine miners at the 2010 Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia. Former mine safety official J. Davitt McAteer speaks with Amy Goodman.
An independent state probe in West Virginia concludes that mining giant, Massey Energy, was responsible for the April 2010 explosion that killed 29 underground coal mining workers. It echoes preliminary findings by federal investigators earlier this year that Massey repeatedly violated federal rules on ventilation and minimizing coal dust to reduce the risk of explosion, and rejects Massey’s claim that a burst of gas from a hole in the mine floor was at fault. The report also notes Massey’s strong political influence, which it uses “to attempt to control West Virginia’s political system” and regulatory bodies.
