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7/28/10: Coal Mine Safety

Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch surface mine in West Virginia (Photo by Vivian Stockman, May 30, 2003 for OVEC
Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch surface mine in West Virginia (Photo by Vivian Stockman, May 30, 2003 for OVEC

By Jennifer Napier-Pearce

Salt Lake City, Utah – Details of the West Virginia mine disaster that killed 29 people last April continue to emerge as reporters sift through the records and conduct hundreds of interviews. An NPR News investigation has revealed that the Upper Big Branch Mine had extensive safety violations and that Massey Energy execs got big checks while safety measures were cut back. Jennifer Napier-Pearce talks with NPR's Howard Berkes about the investigation and what it's revealing about the state of America's coal mines.

  • Read NPR's stories on Massey Energy at NPR News Investigations
  • NPR's Underground Coal Mine Violation Rates, 2009

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