April 5, 2010:
In a coal mine located in Montcoal, West Virginia a massive coal dust explosion started as a methane ignition. Massey Energy Co. was found to have had multiple basic safety violations which resulted in the explosion and prevented the assured safety of workers. 31 miners were inside the mine when the explosion occurred, and the rescue and recovery would take approximately four days. Investigations found that Massey Energy Co. had kept two sets of books; one with hazards recorded in Upper Big Branch’s internal production and maintenance book but not in the official examination book.— (US Dept. of Labor)
Impact:
- 29 fatalities; 2 injured
- $210 million settlement
Related Resources:
- HSDL In Focus: Energy Security
- Serial No. 111-65: The Upper Big Branch Mine Tragedy, Field Hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, Hearing Held in Beckley, WV, May 24, 2010
- Serial No. 112-56: Learning from the Upper Big Branch Tragedy, Hearing Before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Sesson, Hearing Held in Washington, DC, March 27, 2012
- Remarks by the President on Mine Safety
- HSDL search results for: Upper Big Branch
Photo: (Credit: Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin) Memorial dedication in Whitesville, WV for the miners who were killed in the mining accident.