An August 2019 federal audit of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration found that mine safety penalties did not contribute to the overall safety of mining operations.
Blog Archives
Justice Coal Companies and Federal Agencies Enter Legal Battles
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family and their companies are involved in new lawsuits with federal mine safety and reclamation authorities.
States Consider Cuts to Mine Safety, Coal Taxes
Legislation in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia related to mine safety laws and coal taxation policies is showing how far Appalachian lawmakers will go in attempts to sustain the ailing industry.
Don Blankenship Sentenced and other news briefs
A former CEO of a coal mining company receives a historic criminal sentence, Atlantic Ocean spared from drilling, new study shows West Virginia is flatter due to mountaintop removal coal mining and other energy briefs.
TAGS: Don Blankenship Energy Efficiency fracking Mine Safety mountaintop removal coal mining oil drilling West Virginia
New Mine Safety Standards Survive Industry Challenge
Despite challenges from industry groups, a federal court has upheld new mine safety standards that will go into effect on Feb. 1.
Coal Company Accused of Intimidating Whistleblowers
The U.S. Department of Labor has cited Murray Energy Corp. for violations after it sought to retaliate against miners who made complaints anonymously.
Labor Dept. Audits MSHA
Following a scathing report by two media organizations into unpaid mine safety fines, the U.S. Department of Labor has announced plans to audit the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s handling of delinquent penalties. The 2014 report by NPR and Mine…
State Legislative Updates
While lawmakers in Washington, D.C., might get most of the spotlight, the legislators in state capitols across the region are busy making — and blocking — laws that affect Appalachia’s land, air, water and people. Here’s the latest updates from state legislatures around the region
TAGS: Coal fracking Kentucky Mine Safety North Carolina Politics Solar State politics Tennessee Virginia Water Pollution West Virginia
