$210 million settlement in Upper Big Branch mine explosion

[hootinholler]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia coal mine blast that killed 29 men in 2010 has yielded a wide-ranging and historic $210 million settlement proposal to compensate victims' families, pay fines and improve underground safety in response to the worst U.S. coal mining disaster in decades, an attorney with knowledge of the settlement said today.

The agreement appears to be among the largest resulting from a U.S. mining disaster.

The agreement between federal authorities and the new owners of the Upper Big Branch mine includes $46.5 million in criminal restitution to the miners' families, $128 million to fund cutting-edge mine safety upgrades, research and training, and $35 million in penalties for federal mine safety violations. It also does not prevent the future prosecutions of individuals on criminal charges in the April 2010 blast.

...

The $46.5 million in criminal restitution aims to guarantee that the families of the 29 miners and two co-workers who survived the explosion each receive $1.5 million. Several families have already received this portion of the agreement, by settling with Massey in the months following the disaster.





Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11340/1194962-100-0.stm

---

So, Massey sells the mine and avoids the fine? Massey need to be arrested for murder via depraved indifference.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Feds unveil record settlement in W.Va. mine blast

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The owner of a West Virginia mine where 29 men died in the deadliest U.S. coalfield accident in decades will pay $210 million, the largest settlement ever in a federal investigation of a mine disaster, prosecutors said Tuesday.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said the deal would compensate victims' families, pay fines and improve underground safety. It also does not prevent the future prosecutions of individuals on criminal charges in the April 2010 blast.

The agreement between federal authorities and the new owners of the Upper Big Branch mine includes $46.5 million in criminal restitution to the miners' families, $128 million to fund cutting-edge mine safety upgrades, research and training, and $35 million in penalties for federal mine safety violations, Goodwin said.

Goodwin characterized the settlement as a "nonprosecution agreement," and said Alpha Natural Resources - which acquired the mine's owner, Massey Energy, this year - will not be charged with crimes as long as they abide by its terms. He also stressed that the agreement does not bar any future prosecutions of individuals as both his office's probe and one Alpha is conducting internally continue.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MINE_EXPLOSION?SITE=TXWIC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Staph]

2. Massey Corporation avoids criminal charges, but ...

Neither Alpha (the company that bought out Massey -- Staph) nor its Performance Coal subsidiary, which operated Upper Big Branch, are pleading guilty to any criminal charges.

Instead, the government is agreeing to not bring any potential charges against the companies in exchange for payment of the fines and victim restitution, and timely implementation of the safety improvements.

Key to the deal, though, is that - unlike a previous deal with Massey following the Aracoma Mine fire - the Justice Department is not agreeing to never bring charges against any individual executives, officers or employees of Massey or Performance. Goodwin said resolution of issues with Alpha allows prosecutors to focus their resources on potential cases against such individuals.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201112060055

[shellgame26]

3. Mine Owner to Pay $200 Million in Death of 29 Men

Source: The New York Times

In what officials say is the largest ever settlement in a government investigation of a mine disaster, Alpha Natural Resources agreed to pay $209 million in restitution and civil and criminal penalties for the role of its subsidiary, Massey Energy, in a 2010 mine explosion that killed 29 men in West Virginia.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/us/mine-owner-to-pay-200-million-in-west-virginia-explosion.html?_r=1&hp

---

I don't think this would have happened under Bush's justice department...

[teddy51]

4. My bet is that under Bush there would not have even been an investigation. n/t

[Brickbat]

5. I look forward to this not being the end.

I fear it will be, though.

[pennylane100]

6. Some jail time for the owners would have been nicr.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. There is still some hope of that here in West Virginia.

Even though every politician here is a "Friend Of Coal" And a friend of the Friends Of Coal's friendly big campaign money.

[Citizen Worker]

8. Where are the indictments charging 29 counts of homicide? That's what I would like to know.

[Ian David]

9. Bush would have given them The Medal of Freedom. n/t