Having run the deadliest coal company in America for 10 years, Don Blankenship will earn a tidy $12 million retirement bonus for his troubles. Maybe this type of reimbursement seems normal in some circles, as this sum is roughly equal to what Sarah Palin made the first year after she quit her job. Massey remains the #1 perpetrator of mountaintop removal coal-mining – the costliest form of mining to our mountains, our health, our Appalachian communities, and our long-term economic well-being.

Over at Coal Tatoo, Ken Ward adds:

On first glance, [Blankenship’s] deal appears to include:

– $12 million, in two payments — one of $2 million this Dec. 31 and another of $10 million on July 1, 2011.

– Health-care coverage for two years.

– Blankenship will continue to consult for Massey for two years, and will not compete with Massey nor hire away Massey employees for that same period of time. He will be paid a $5,000 per month retainer as a consultant.