Coal Mine Explosion: Massey Energy's Negligence and Its Aftermaths

Running head: COAL MINE EXPLOSION
COAL MINE EXPLOSION
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1COAL MINE EXPLOSION
Introduction
With its headquarters in Virginia, Massey Energy Company happen to be one of the
major coal extracting companies operating in the US, with large production of coal and an
equally large amount of revenue income. The company was bought by its competitor Alpha
Natural Resources in the year 2011, which subsequently had to pay all the guilt liabilities of
Massey.
Discussion
The company had been severe criticisms for the last few decades due to breach of
laws, the major blow coming from a huge blast that occurred at the Upper Big Branch Mine
of West Virginia, where 29 miners were reported dead (Tavernise, 2018). The incident
occurred under the operative supervision of Performance Coal Company, which was a
subsidiary of Massey Energy, on whom the entire guilt was imposed. It was the largest coal
mine disaster in forty years, after a similar one at Kentucky in 1970, where Finley Coal
Company was held responsible for the death of 38 miners ("Hurricane Creek Mine Disaster |
ExploreKYHistory", 2018). The blast of Upper Big Branch was triggered from a yet
unknown source due to an unnaturally high rate of inflammable coal dust and methane, and
poor safety facilities against them.
In its final report published in 11th December, 2011, Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) concluded that the explosion took place due to the violations of
relevant safety laws by the company (Msha.gov., 2018). This was the result of a yearlong
investigation into the matter, whereby it was discovered that the authorities of the company
have been wilfully violating the basic safety norms for a long time. There was a dearth of
proper ventilation and escape route for the workers, who had to work in abject conditions.
The company had always put on a clean hand, while focusing more on the productivity than