The Upper Big Branch Mine disaster occurred on April 5, 2010 roughly 1,000 feet (300 m) underground in Raleigh County, West Virginia at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine located in Montcoal. Twenty-nine out of thirty-one miners at the site were killed.[1] The coal dust explosion occurred at 3:27 pm.[2] The accident was the worst in the United States since 1970, when 38 miners were killed at Finley Coal Company's No. 15 and 16 mines in Hyden, Kentucky.[3][4][5] A state funded independent investigation later found Massey Energy directly responsible for the blast.[6]
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released its final report on December 6, 2011, concluding that flagrant safety violations contributed to the explosion. It issued 369 citations at that time, assessing $10.8 million in penalties.[7] Alpha Natural Resources, which had bought Massey Energy in 2011, settled its corporate criminal liabilities with the U.S. Attorney for $209 million.[8] Investigation of possible personal criminal liability continues,[8] with one former superintendent, Gary May, pleading guilty in March 2012, and "confess[ing] to conspiring to 'impede the [MSHA]'s enforcement efforts.'" In April 2012, coal producer Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (ANR), the owner of the mine at the time, said it will permanently close its Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia.[9][10]
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was convicted in 2015 of a misdemeanor conspiring to willfully violate safety standards and was sentenced to one year in prison.[11] He was found not guilty of charges of securities fraud and making false statements.[12]
^Lawrence Messina & Greg Bluestein (April 8, 2010). "Fed official: Still too soon for W.Va. mine rescue". News.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
^U.S. Department of Labor – Mine Safety and Health Administration, 103(k) Order for Performance Coal Company Upper Big Branch Mine-South Archived April 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. April 5, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
^Greg Bluestein & Vicki Smith (April 10, 2010). "Mine rescue effort turns to recovery". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
^Dorell, Oren (April 13, 2010). "Some W.Va. miners' families say goodbye; others wait". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
^"Finley Coal Company Explosion". United States Mine Rescue Association. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
^"Upper Big Branch : The April 5, 2010 explosion: a failure of basic coal mine safety practices: Report to the Governor" (PDF). S3.documentcloud.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
^Cite error: The named reference msharelease2011Dec06 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference doj2011Dec06 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Alpha Natural to Close Upper Big Branch Mine". Wall Street Journal. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
^CNN Wire staff (April 5, 2012). "Upper Big Branch mine to be permanently sealed". CNN. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
^"Ex-coal CEO Don Blankenship at end of prison term". WDTV. May 10, 2017. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
^Maher, Kris (December 3, 2015). "Jury Convicts Former Massey CEO Don Blankenship of Conspiracy". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 14, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
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