<\/p>\n
Massey Energy is actively contesting millions of dollars of fines Since 1995, Massey’s Upper Big Branch-South Mine has been cited for 3,007 safety violations<\/strong>. Massey is contesting 353 violations, and 127 are delinquent. [MSHA<\/a>]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Massey is contesting over a third<\/strong> (34.7 percent) of the <\/p>\n In March 2010, 53 new safety citations<\/strong> were issued for Massey’s Upper Big Branch-South Mine, including violations of its mine ventilation plan. [MSHA<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Massey is now contesting $1,128,833 in fines for safety violations Over $2.2 million in fines have been assessed<\/strong> against Massey’s Upper Big Branch-South Mine since 1995, with $791,327 <\/p>\n Massey is contesting $251,613 in fines<\/strong> for citations for Upper Big Branch-South Mine’s ventilation plan. [MSHA<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before yesterday’s tragic explosion, there have been three <\/p>\n In 2002, President George W. Bush “named former Massey Energy official Stanley Suboleski<\/a> to the MSHA review commission that decides all legal matters under the Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n ‘Britain’s Appalachia’ engineers a brighter post-coal future<\/a><\/p>\n More evidence that Sen. Byrd sees the writing on the wall for coal<\/a><\/p>\n Citizens gather in Washington to end ‘mountain bombing’ of Appalachia<\/a><\/p>\n
\nfor safety violations at its West Virginia coal mine where disaster
\nstruck yesterday afternoon. Twenty-five miners were killed<\/a> and another four are missing after a explosion took place at 3 pm<\/a> Monday at Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co.‘s Upper Big Branch
\nMine-South between the towns of Montcoal and Naoma. It is “the most people killed<\/a> in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining
\nCorp.‘s mine in Orangeville, Utah.” This deadly mine has been cited for
\nover 3,000 violations by the Mine Safety and Health Administration
\n(MSHA), 638 since 2009:<\/p>\n
\n516 safety citations the Upper Big Branch-South Mine received in 2009,
\nits greatest count in the last 15 years. [MSHA<\/a>]<\/p>\n
\nat the deadly Upper Big Branch-South Mine, with a further $246,320 in
\ndelinquent fines:<\/p>\n
\npaid. Massey is contesting $1,128,833 in fines. Massey’s delinquent
\nfines total $246,320. [MSHA<\/a>]<\/p>\n
\nfatalities at Massey’s Upper Big Branch-South Mine in the last 12
\nyears—one each in 1998<\/a>, 2001<\/a>, and 2003<\/a>. Massey’s corrupt CEO<\/a>, U.S. Chamber of Commerce board member Don Blankenship<\/a>, has previously told employees that it was more important to “run coal<\/a>” than follow safety regulations.<\/p>\n
\nFederal Mine Act,” and cut 170 positions from MSHA. Bush’s MSHA chief, Dick Stickler<\/a>, was a former manager of Beth Energy mines, which “incurred injury rates<\/a> double the national average.” On Oct. 21, 2009, the Senate confirmed
\nPresident Barack Obama’s choice to replace Stickler, Joe Main, a “career union official<\/a> and mine safety expert.” Massey’s Suboleski is still an active review commissioner<\/a>.<\/p>\n