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Massey Calls for Public Hearing Into Deadly Mine Blast

Massey Energy, the owner of the West Virginia mine where 29 miners were killed in a blast last month, has shocked its critics today, urging federal officials to

Jul 31, 20207.1K Shares422.7K Views
Massey Energy, the owner of the West Virginia mine where 29 miners were killed in a blast last month, has shocked its critics today, urging federal officials to open their investigation to the public. From the company’s statement:
To be credible, any such hearing must also be fair. Any hearing must encompass the basic principles of due process. To the greatest possible extent, basic protections must be in place to ensure that the hearing develops a complete and balanced public record. Massey supports a hearing that is fair and credible, as well as open and transparent.
Proponents of such transparency have arguedthat a closed-door investigation would likely benefit Massey, because the company’s lawyers would probably be representing a number of the miners questioned during the process. But that was before the Mine Safety and Health Administration announcedyesterday that it’s creating an investigative unit to field testimony on the blast in “a safe, confidential venue” where the public and mine workers can “speak freely … without fear of retaliation or the need to reveal their identities.”
Ever the skeptic, The Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward Jr. wonders todaywhether Massey, in its call today for an open investigation, isn’t simply searching for new ways to quiet any would-be critics in light of MSHA’s recent announcement.
Hajra Shannon

Hajra Shannon

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