The First One We Covered, Here -- Was Blankenship's Massey Energy "Big Branch" Coal Mine, 2010: 29 Miners Dead. OSHA Violations A Go-Go.

This is technically a bit below my arbitrarily-chosen "40 fatality" threshold -- but it was among the most egregious (for OSHA / law violations later revealed, at the Upper Big Branch Mine).

The Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in Raleigh County, West Virginia happened mid-shift on April 5, 2010 -- 29 miners perished that shift. Federal mine safety investigators determined a buildup of methane gas and coal dust led to the explosion at the Massey Energy-owned mine.

Don Blankenship later sued various news outlets, alleging libel and slander. He lost every case. And he went to jail in 2015. [His final libel appeal was tossed by the Supremes this past summer.] He personally had to pay a $250,000 fine, and a successor company had to pay about $210 million to the families of the dead miners. Here's just one of dozens of stories on it all, below. And unsurprisingly, he is a mega-Tangerine donor, and friend:

. . .Massey CEO Don Blankenship was convicted in December 2015 of conspiracy to violate mine safety and health standards. He served one year in prison and paid a $250,000 fine.

Other Massey executives and mine officials were convicted and sentenced to prison for their roles in the disaster.

Massey was sold to Alpha Natural Resources in 2011. Alpha paid a $210 million settlement with the families of the workers and to address years of safety violations. . . .

Now you know. Back to life sciences, proper, tomorrow -- though dirty coal / energy policy is in fact. . . only a skip and jump from life sciences, epidemics of death, and Black Lung disease management (CDC) efforts. Onward.

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