Mine Safety and Health Administration news stories on Newser

Massey Hid Factors Behind W.Va. Mine Blast

Kevin Spak — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:13:37 CDT

The explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine that killed 29 people was caused by safety concerns that owner Massey Energy was well aware of, but hid from federal regulators, according to a new report from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. “This much we already know. The tragedy at...

Mine Regulators Under FBI Investigation

Kevin Spak — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:04:00 CDT

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration in connection with the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, and the agency is looking into allegations regulators took bribes from Massey Energy, sources tell NPR . Massey, which owned the mine, is also under investigation for criminal...

2 Miners Dead in Kentucky

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:36:39 CDT

A rescue team found a second Kentucky miner dead today after a roof collapse at coal mine with a long history of safety problems. The two miners, ages 27 and 28, were killed in an accident at the Dotiki Mine near Providence in western Kentucky. They were operating what's known...

Feds Run Surprise Inspections on 57 Coal Mines

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:34:30 CDT

Nearly 60 problem coal mines have been hit with surprise inspections aimed at preventing another explosion like the one that killed 29 miners in West Virginia, the nation's chief mine safety regulator said yesterday. The raids targeted 57 mines with a history of violations, the Mine Safety and Health Administration...

Last 4 Miners Found Dead

M. Morris — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 02:18:33 CDT

Dashing hopes that they had survived the massive explosion that killed 25 of their colleagues, four coal miners were found dead early this morning in a mine in Montcoal, W. Va., making Monday's incident the worst coal-mining disaster in over a generation. The head of the Mine Safety and Health...