Mining company defends history of violations by claiming their record is better than most companies’ for “lost time.” How about LOST LIVES? Meanwhile, company CEO’s salary unfortunately not tied to penalties assessed for safety violations…
Nation & World | Mines fight strict laws by filing more appeals | Seattle Times Newspaper
Officials at Massey did not respond to a telephone call seeking comment. The company’s Web site says its safety record is better than the industry’s average when it comes to accidents that result in lost time.
And Don Blankenship, the company’s chief executive, cautioned in a radio interview Tuesday against reading too much into the Upper Big Branch mine’s history of violations.
“Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process,” Blankenship told the West Virginia MetroNews radio network, adding that there are violations at every coal mine in the country.
Although all mining companies have filed appeals, Massey — and Blankenship in particular — have developed a reputation for an aggressive style.
This guy sounds almost as charming as Bob Murray the loudmouth mining company owner that ran his mouth while his employees’ bodies waited for recovery under tons of rock in the Utah mine disaster a few years ago. That one was ultimately blamed on that company’s removal of support pillars in order to glean every possible ounce of coal in a worked-out level.
But don’t worry, Blankenship will come out of this with his income intact, and his company will write off the cost of recovery efforts and the lost income while his operation is shut down. He’s got his – and you can bet in a few months or years, long after the media lights are turned away, he and his company will be fighting the survivors’ lawyers through the courts, delaying paying out settlements as long as possible. It’s all about the bottom line with these guys.
Blankenship has long seemed to revel in the role of a modern-day coal baron. He amassed coal rights when some doubted the future of Appalachian coal, and raised profits by holding down production costs, collecting dozens of environmental and safety violations along the way.
A self-described “street fighter,” Blankenship, a large man with a mustache and a slight drawl, has staunchly defended the practice of blasting off mountaintops to reach coal seams.
He has accused state regulators of being anti-business and in cahoots with the union.
In 2008, according to public filings, Blankenship was paid $11.2 million in salary, bonuses and other benefits, up from $5.3 million in 2006. He lives in a relatively modest home in Rawl, W.Va. — where dozens of residents have sued Massey for, they say, poisoning the water supply.
He sounds like a real nice neighbor, too. If he’s a religious man (and how can he fail to be, living in West Virginia?), how does he reconcile his business practice with his faith practice? Does he not fear the reward that awaits him? Obviously not, so you can probably add “hypocrite” to the list of his many and grievous faults.
