Preventable Tragedy at Upper Big Branch Mine

The tragedy of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster is not just the terrible loss of 29 miners and the devastating impact on their families and communities. It’s magnified by the fact that it was preventable. Its cause was greed. Mining operations continued while safety citations were fought in court. The mine had 48 “unwarrantable failure orders,” issued when a mine operator knowingly violates a mine safety regulation, last year. The real tragedy will take place if Massey Energy and CEO Don Blankenship are allowed to return to business as usual.