The reason the coal miners had no high quality air in the mine was because methane is always present with coal and it wasn't being captured BEFORE the mining began.

Fossil fuels, regardless of their 'type' are all basically the same.  They are ROTTED carbon from living organisms.  When dead organisms ROT, especially plants, they produce methane, i.e. land fills.  The coal deposits are no different and neither is oil.  There are always toxic gases, including, sulfur and nitrogen affiliated with these deposits.  The methane in the mines is allowed to exist and cause high potential for explosions.  In order to make mines safe for human beings to work in they need three things, high ventilation rates (HVAC) systems, and the prior removal of methane to 'CONTAINERS' so it doesn't cause more greenhouse gas concentration in the troposphere.  All that takes money.  Money that Wall Street has no conscience to spend.  When profits are cut by a real conscious CEOs don't get big bonuses, including the one at Massey.  So, while the employees of Massey are ? grateful ? for the work, they are allowed to wallow in the slime of its CEO and the corruption of its government to protect them.  If this makes me sound like a dreaded 'Beck communist of socialist' then the people of that audience have become demented to a value system of decency !