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by: Jeremiah
Massey Coal continues to dispute federal and independent investigators. The coal company presented their case to family members of the fallen miners this week.
Federal and independent investigators appointed by then Governor Manchin have stated that a fire was ignited by poor maintenance of a driller and that this fire was not put out because of poor maintenance to water sprayers. This fire then ignited the huge explosion that killed the 29 West Virginia miners because of a dangerous build up of highly combustible coal dust.
Per Ken Ward of the Charleston Gazette,
MSHA has said that it found widespread violations throughout the mine of requirements that mine operators spread crushed limestone, or "rock dust," to keep coal dust from igniting...MSHA has harshly criticized Massey's safety practices and federal prosecutors have said they are investigating potential criminal violations dating back more than four years at Upper Big Branch.
In my opinion Massey is dishonoring the fallen Upper Big Branch miners with their propaganda campaign. Massey has stonewalled the investigators and refused to cooperate. Massey is trying to avoid crippling civil lawsuits from UBB family members and criminal prosecution from the federal government. This blatant self serving strategy is offensive and pathetic.
Some folks will justify it but the reality is that Massey did this to themselves and, sadly, no one is surprised. How can we as West Virginians accept this? Massey should take steps to ensure these same problems are not prevalent in other Massey affiliated mines. They should be fully committed to the investigation and cooperate without objection. They should try to be decent for a change.
We hear all these politicians defending Big Coal but who is out there defending the coal miner? An anti union operation like Massey has undercut the workers ability to even defend themselves and politicians sit idly by as it happens. When the smoke clears from one of these disasters these families and communities are left with their grief and the painful question of why did this have to happen. When the photo ops are over who is there for these families? Why do we have to keep going through this time and again?
We need a rally for workers, a commonsense approach to protecting hardworking West Virginians, a campaign to show the faces of these victims- the faces of the hard working West Virginian. Finally, we need Massey and any other operator that puts workers in harms way to be held accountable. We need justice. |
