I'm not surprised in the least that Don Blankenship, chairman and CEO of Massey Energy Co. in West Virginia, is also an active financial backer of the Republican Party in West Virginia. We've all witnessed on TV his heartfelt responses for the loss of all those pour souls in the mine.
... And people still actually believe Republicans will be look-ing out for the best interests of middle-class workers in America? Caveat emptor.
Massey mines draw scrutiny
442 citations, orders issued for safety violations in Ky., 2 other states since blast
Saturday, Apr. 17, 2010
- ljohnson1@herald-leader.com
Inspectors have cited hundreds of safety violations at Massey Energy coal mines in Kentucky since an April 5 explosion at one of the company's mines in West Virginia killed 29 employees, federal records show.
The 279 citations and orders in Kentucky, more than 80 of them alleging significant and substantial violations, were among a total of 442 issued to Massey underground mines in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia from April 5 through Thursday.
Of those 442, more than half — 222 — were issued to one Massey property in Kentucky, Freedom Energy Mining Co. in Pike County, according to a Herald-Leader analysis of data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
The 279 citations and orders in Kentucky, more than 80 of them alleging significant and substantial violations, were among a total of 442 issued to Massey underground mines in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia from April 5 through Thursday.
Of those 442, more than half — 222 — were issued to one Massey property in Kentucky, Freedom Energy Mining Co. in Pike County, according to a Herald-Leader analysis of data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/04/17/1227159/masseys-kentucky-operations-were.html#ixzz0lMZNadHX
April 16, 2010
Stock-owning trust fund wants Massey held in contempt
The Manville Personal Injury Trust sued Massey, CEO Don Blankenship and other members of the company's board of directors and several corporate officers in 2007, alleging that mismanagement of the company was hurting shareholders' interests.
That suit was filed in the wake of repeated water pollution violations, large fines relating to the deaths of two miners in the 2006 Aracoma Mine fire, and a nearly $2 million verdict against Massey for firing a worker who complained about safety problems. It was settled in 2008.
As part of the settlement, Massey "agreed to make certain changes to its corporate governance policies and procedures relating to director oversight and conduct regarding environmental compliance and mine worker safety," according to Manville's motion, filed Friday....
