Apr 5 Environment WV Remembers Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster On 11th Anniversary Monday marks 11 years since the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in Raleigh County, West Virginia, where 29 miners were killed on April 5, 2010. Federal mine safety investigators determined that a buildup of methane gas and coal dust led to the explosion at the Massey Energy-owned mine. It was the worst mine disaster […] By Curtis Tate Apr 5 Environment WV Remembers Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster On 11th Anniversary Curtis Tate
May 9 Environment Former Coal CEO Blankenship To Be Released From Prison Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is scheduled to be released from an Arizona halfway house on Wednesday after serving a year in federal prison. By Ashton Marra, WVPB May 9 Environment Former Coal CEO Blankenship To Be Released From Prison Ashton Marra, WVPB
May 25 Environment MSHA Targets 43 Former Massey Mines in Huge Inspection Blitz The Mine Safety and Health Administration targeted 43 mines formerly owned by Massey Energy for surprise inspections this week, as NPR’s Howard Berkes reports. The mines, in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia, are all now owned by Alpha Natural Resources. Berkes reports that the inspection blitz was prompted by a recent incident at an Alpha […] By Erica Peterson May 25 Environment MSHA Targets 43 Former Massey Mines in Huge Inspection Blitz Erica Peterson
Feb 22 Environment Former Upper Big Branch Superintendent Charged With Felony Conspiracy Federal charges have been filed against the former superintendent of Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine. Gary May was charged with felony conspiracy today in West Virginia. Gary May started working at the Upper Big Branch Mine in 2008. He was a superintendent there in April 2010, when an explosion tore through the mine, killing […] By Erica Peterson Feb 22 Environment Former Upper Big Branch Superintendent Charged With Felony Conspiracy Erica Peterson
Dec 9 State of the News Overtime Investigation, Daeschner’s Contract Not Renewed, FDA Ban on Blood Donations from Gay Men, Congress Debates Payroll Tax: Today on State of the News Mayor Greg Fischer called for an investigation into the city’s use of overtime pay, and MSHA finished its investigation of Upper Big Branch and found assey to blame. We’ll recap and analyse this week’s metro news with the WFPL news staff. News and Tribune editor Shea Van Hoy joins WFPL’s Devin Katayama to talk about […] By Laura Ellis Dec 9 State of the News Overtime Investigation, Daeschner’s Contract Not Renewed, FDA Ban on Blood Donations from Gay Men, Congress Debates Payroll Tax: Today on State of the News Laura Ellis
Oct 25 Environment Union Report on Upper Big Branch Explosion Faults Massey Energy, Suggests Evidence Tampering The United Mine Workers union has released its own report into last year’s deadly explosion at West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch Mine. The report is highly critical of the way non-union Massey Energy handled the disaster. The explosion killed 29 workers, and the title of the report instantly gives a sense of how the United […] By Erica Peterson Oct 25 Environment Union Report on Upper Big Branch Explosion Faults Massey Energy, Suggests Evidence Tampering Erica Peterson
Aug 24 Environment MSHA Cites Three Kentucky Mines in July Impact Inspections The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has cited three Kentucky mines for safety violations—two of the mines are in Harlan County and one is in Pike County. Those mines are among 15 nationwide with a history of compliance problems that were targeted in MSHA’s July impact inspections. Two of the Kentucky mines inspected are […] By Erica Peterson Aug 24 Environment MSHA Cites Three Kentucky Mines in July Impact Inspections Erica Peterson
Jun 29 Environment Government Faults Coal Company in Upper Big Branch Explosion Federal regulators held a briefing today in West Virginia to discuss their investigation into the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion. The Mine Safety and Health Administration says the explosion on April 5, 2010 that killed 29 miners in southern West Virginia was preventable. In a presentation, MSHA administrator Kevin Stricklin outlined Massey’s failures at the […] By Erica Peterson Jun 29 Environment Government Faults Coal Company in Upper Big Branch Explosion Erica Peterson
Jun 14 Environment Alpha CEO Calls Coal’s Future “Bright” Alpha Natural Resource’s CEO says his company’s acquisition of Massey Energy improves the company’s position in the international market. Kevin Crutchfield said Massey’s vast metallurgical coal reserves were one reason the merger made sense for Alpha. During an interview with West Virginia MetroNews, he said he also expects to be providing coal for electricity to […] By Erica Peterson Jun 14 Environment Alpha CEO Calls Coal’s Future “Bright” Erica Peterson
Jun 3 Environment Alpha Dismisses Massey Energy’s Report on W.Va. Mine Explosion Earlier today, Massey Energy’s former Chairman of the Board Bobby Inman released his company’s accounting of the causes behind the April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine. The Charleston Gazette has a link to the report. Basically, it discounts the report released last month by an independent team commissioned by former West Virginia […] By Erica Peterson Jun 3 Environment Alpha Dismisses Massey Energy’s Report on W.Va. Mine Explosion Erica Peterson
Jun 3 Local News Today on State of the News We’ll look at the week’s local stories, and meet WFPL’s new environmental reporter, Erica Peterson, who brings us analysis on the sale of Massey Energy and lawmakers’ recent remarks that the EPA is engaged in a “war on coal.” Then we’ll check in on the narrowing search for a JCPS superintendent and the release of […] By Laura Ellis Jun 3 Local News Today on State of the News Laura Ellis
Jun 1 Environment Alpha Acquires Massey in $7 Billion Deal Massey Energy is no more. A vote today by shareholders approved the coal company’s acquisition by Alpha Natural Resources. The $7.1 billion merger means Alpha now controls the second-largest coal reserves in the country. The company will also control more reserves of metallurgical coal, which is in demand overseas to make steel. The new Alpha […] By Erica Peterson Jun 1 Environment Alpha Acquires Massey in $7 Billion Deal Erica Peterson
Jun 1 Environment Alpha-Massey Merger Approved by Shareholders Shareholders have approved an $8.5 billion merger between Massey Energy and Alpha Natural Resources. Alpha’s acquisition of Massey will make it the second-largest holder of coal reserves in America. We reported yesterday on some shareholder concerns about Alpha’s plans to retain several Massey executives who were in oversight positions during the April 2010 explosion at […] By Erica Peterson Jun 1 Environment Alpha-Massey Merger Approved by Shareholders Erica Peterson
May 31 Environment Wednesday Vote Scheduled on Massey-Alpha Coal Merger Shareholders of Massey Energy and Alpha Natural Resources will vote Wednesday on a proposed merger. If approved, the deal would make Alpha the world’s third largest producer of metallurgical coal. The company has said it intends to retain five Massey executives, all of whom were in leadership positions during the Upper Big Branch explosion last year […] By Erica Peterson May 31 Environment Wednesday Vote Scheduled on Massey-Alpha Coal Merger Erica Peterson
Feb 28 Local News Upper Big Branch Mine Security Chief Indicted The first indictment has been issued in a criminal probe into last year's explosion at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Mine that left 29 coal miners dead. The mine's Chief of Security Hughie Stover has been accused of lying to investigators and trying to destroy mine records. By Gabe Bullard Feb 28 Local News Upper Big Branch Mine Security Chief Indicted Gabe Bullard