April, 07, 2010

The Massey Energy coal mine explosion yesterday was tragic, killing 25 people, more than any accident since decades. Sadly, it was also all too predictable. The disaster appears to be the consequence of a failed ventilation system allowing high levels of methane to accumulate. Federal investigators have fined Massey hundreds of thousands of dollars because of improper ventilation systems, and inadequate firefighting equipment. In 2006, a similar violation resulted in a fire that killed two miners.

Even aside from its abysmal safety record, Massey, and its leader, Don Blankenship, are almost cartoonishly villainous in the way they approach everything from the environment to union rights to media scrutiny. They've pioneered mountain top removal mining, a particularly destructive form of mining that dirties local water supplies, ruins animal habitats, and damages the foundations of nearby houses, all while eliminating much of the Appalachians.

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