Feds: Devastating Findings On 'Preventable' Mine Disaster

Upper Big Branch Report: Feds Release Devastating Findings On 'Preventable' Mine Disaster

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials released a damning report Tuesday on the Upper Big Branch coal mining disaster, citing "corporate culture" at coal giant Massey Energy Co. as the "root cause" of a catastrophe that claimed 29 lives and rocked West Virginia last April.

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) also imposed a civil fine of $10.8 million, the largest in agency history, and issued a whopping 369 citations and orders on the company, including an "unprecedented" 21 "flagrant violations" of safety and health standards. The mine had been operated by Performance Coal Co., a Massey subsidiary.

Management showed a "systematic" and "intentional" pattern of covering up safety hazards at the mine, such as the inadequate ventilation and poor roof supports that contributed to the disaster, according to investigators. The mine also had an "established" practice of tipping off managers when federal and state safety inspectors were on the way. The company went so far as to maintain two sets of safety books -- one that included known dangers, and another watered-down version that miners and inspectors could see, investigators said.

An atmosphere of intimidation also pervaded the mine. Workers who tried to bring forth safety concerns were routinely bullied by their superiors and feared losing their jobs making them unlikely to seek out inspectors. "As a result, no safety or health complaints and no whistleblower disclosures were made to MSHA from miners working in the UBB mine in the approximately four years preceding the explosion," the report notes.

Sooo... I guess a $10.8 million fine against the company, plus a punitive damage aware of $1.5 million for each of the 29 miners' families might get their attention? Maybe a bit steep as a "cost of doing business." You would think this would FINALLY result in a tightening of the rules and regulations covering mining safety violations...wouldn't you....

Despite the condemnations from lawmakers, congressional leaders still have not managed to move any legislation to improve mine safety in the 18 months since the disaster. Members of both the House and Senate have introduced mine safety bills that would make it easier for the government to shut down mines that show a pattern of safety violations, but such legislation is unlikely to pass a Republican-led House determined to limit regulations on businesses.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/0 ... 32462.html

I'll try to conceal my disgust....

Nah... I won't.....

I wonder if the unions will sue for loss of dues payments?

Typical of federal regulators, let these violations go on for decades and then come down hard on the offenders only after people die.
NPR devoted a lot of time to this story and it looks like blame can be extended to the company, the regulators, and even the employees themselves who would disable carbon monoxide sensors so that they could keep on working.

Yeah, those *&^*&#^$ Federal Regulators...letting the violations go on for decades...

The mine also had an "established" practice of tipping off managers when federal and state safety inspectors were on the way. The company went so far as to maintain two sets of safety books -- one that included known dangers, and another watered-down version that miners and inspectors could see, investigators said.

They should have known that there were two sets of books and the slimebags were covering up.

Yeah, it's the miners' own fault that they're dead... Hey, as long as the profits keep coming in, right?

Where is the love?

I never expect any from sociopaths....

I am just repeating what NPR said. Just like our facility, sometimes workers in a hurry will just climb on the racks instead of getting the OSHA approved ladder, etc. 99.99% of the time nothing bad happens, but every now and again, someone dies or gets injured.

If LJ would have written, "It's A Wonderful Life", George Bailey would have gone to jail! Those evil bankers not taking proper care of peoples' deposits.

Yet another reason to not only end the extraction of coal from Mother Earth...but also to end the removal of all carbon-based energy sources as well. We should do this immediately, if not sooner. No pipelines, no oil tankers, no drilling rigs or wells, no mines, no refineries. It will be perfect.

Get rid of nuclear power too. It's too messy...heck, look at what happened in Japan.

Everyone will then have a few options for travel. Horses, electric cars (as long as you don't need to go more than 30 miles), electric trains, sailing boats and ships, rowboats and canoes, bicycles or walking. You can generate all electricity with wind, solar, hydroelectric (just don't damn any rivers) or tidal power.

In this utopia, the world would get very small for us, very quickly.

That's what we want right?

FredHayek wrote: I am just repeating what NPR said. Just like our facility, sometimes workers in a hurry will just climb on the racks instead of getting the OSHA approved ladder, etc. 99.99% of the time nothing bad happens, but every now and again, someone dies or gets injured.

If LJ would have written, "It's A Wonderful Life", George Bailey would have gone to jail! Those evil bankers not taking proper care of peoples' deposits.

No... I would have sent Potter to jail... He's the one that stole the money when no one was looking.