Massey Urges MSHA to Approve Investigation Plan

JULIAN, W.Va., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Massey Energy Company (NYSE: MEE) today released the following statement urging officials at the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to approve the Company's plan to conduct its own separate investigation to determine the cause of the April 5, 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine in Montcoal, WV. Mine safety officials with the state of West Virginia have approved the investigation plan but MSHA has yet to approve the proposal and must do so before Massey team members can begin their probe. Under the Mine Act, companies are required to conduct their own investigation.    

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"As of Wednesday afternoon, more than a week after the state of West Virginia approved Massey's request for Company investigators to immediately begin their own on-site investigation, MSHA officials still have not permitted Massey investigators to initiate their autonomous probe. This delay amounts to valuable lost time for Massey investigators and is hindering the progress of the investigation.

"Massey Energy has compiled a team with some of the nation's best accident investigators that plans to conduct a very thorough and comprehensive mine explosion investigation. These investigation experts have decades of investigative experience and have examined dozens of accident sites.  

"Massey once again calls on MSHA to approve the Company's investigation plan as the state of West Virginia has done and to do so promptly. The families, the legacy of the UBB miners, and the future of mine safety demands that MSHA acts immediately in approving this plan."  

Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and is included in the S&P 500 Index. http://masseyubb.com/

SOURCE Massey Energy Company

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