Feds taking anonymous tips due to company threats against witnesses

by: Carnacki

Tue May 04, 2010 at 17:10:04 PM EDT

Another West Virginian died in a at a coal mine site today.

As I know from personal experience, no work place can be made entirely safe, particularly with heavy equipment involved and the details on this latest death are not in yet.

The only thing we can do as a people is to make work places as safe as possible. That is something that the federal and state governments, the workers and the owners should all be in agreement on.

But now it appears that Massey officials are using intimidation to silence people with information about the Upper Big Branch disaster.

Alarmed by reports that Massey Energy officials are intimidating miners and their families, the Department of Labor announced today that it is launching a "supplemental" investigation into last month's Upper Big Branch mine disaster -- in which witnesses can remain anonymous.

The department's Mine Safety and Health Administration said in a statement that "Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis called for this additional investigation group to provide a safe, confidential venue for the general public, family members of the victims and miners to speak freely to MSHA investigators about the mine explosion without fear of retaliation or the need to reveal their identity."

"We are clearly concerned about fear and intimidation by the company," an administration official told HuffPost.

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but trying to silence witnesses and critics is a sure sign that many people in this state who have committed illegal acts or turned a blind eye to violations have much to fear themselves.