Massey Energy Paid EPA Settlement $20 Million
Mine at which the disaster occurred is listed as owned by Performance Coal Company, Monday, April 5, Massey Energy subsidiary, the Upper Big Branch Mine where at least twenty-five (25) miners died .
Early anticipations venerated the loss of life would be bigger than the Sago tragedy. Early Tuesday morning, the death toll grew to at least 25, pulling through the rack up mining disaster in the U.S. since 1984.
The United States Supreme Court decided the Massey case and had been in the news. The $77 million dollar verdict had been preserved by the West Virginia Supreme Court. The judicial proceeding alleged in Massey forced Harman Mining out of stage business through contract blocking. Harman made out that Brent Benjamin, WV Supreme Court justice was biased, due to big campaign contributions from Massey’s CEO. The U.S. Supreme Court aprroved and sent the case back for a re-hearing to the West Virginia Supreme Court.
However, many mountain top removal objections have gone on at a Massey mine next to Marsh Fork Elementary School. Former WV Congressman Ken Hechler and actress Daryl Hannah were held back in non-violent protests. The court granted the coal silo to be constructed.
The Performance Coal Company paid the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) $20 million dollars to nail down Clean Water Act offenses in WV and Kentucky for contaminating waterways with coal slurry and wastewater. The EPA fines, though, would have summed up $2.4 billion, according to a New York Times post. Read EPA RRP training articles.
