Report: Negligence Caused Mine Deaths

Failure to maintain even minimal safety standards contributed to the deaths of 29 West Virginia coal miners, a report says. The report, commissioned by the West Virginia governor in the wake of the Upper Big Branch mine explosion in 2010, found that Massey Energy, the mine’s owner, created “a culture in which wrongdoing became acceptable.” Among the problems: bad ventilation, malfunctioning safety measures, and buildup of highly explosive coal dust, despite industry rules. Massey had been cited for safety violations multiple times leading up to the explosion. Although a spokesman for Massey disputed some findings, company executives refused to be interviewed for the report, invoking the Fifth Amendment.