Feds Could Open Criminal Investigation Into Mine Explosion

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

U.S. Attorney Says He Will 'Vigorously' Pursue Prosecution of Any Criminal Violations that Led to 29 Deaths

The United States Attorney in West Virginia today took the rare step of confirming he plans a "vigorous" prosecution of any criminal infraction that might have led to the deaths of 29 coal miners in last week's Upper Big Branch mine explosion.

"The United States Attorney's Office is ready, willing and able to receive any information and/or investigative reports regarding the explosion and subsequent deaths of the twenty-nine miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia." U.S. Attorney Charles T. Miller stated in a carefully worded press release issued Monday morning. "If the investigation undertaken by the Mine Safety and Health Administration reveals that criminal violations have occurred, we will work vigorously with investigators to pursue those offenses to the fullest extent of the law."

If he proceeds, this will be the second time Miller has pursued criminal charges against a mine owned by Massey Energy. Last year, Miller settled a case that resulted from a fatal fire at a mine owned by the company, leading to a $4.2 million fine and criminal pleas on nine counts of having willfully violated federal safety laws. At the time it was the largest fine in the history of the coal industry.

Miller indicated in his statement that he would wait for the outcome of an investigation by the federal agency that oversees mine safety before determining whether the mine's operators or its parent company should be prosecuted in federal court.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/feds-open-criminal-investigation-mine-explosion-us-attorney/story?id=10352882

[defendandprotect]

1. Good news ....

[autorank]

2. Outstanding! Punish wrongdoing! k*r

[Arctic Dave]

3. Jail time. These SOBs need jail time.

Lots of it.

[salguine]

4. It would take a lot to convince me that any Federal investigation isn't just for show. The CEOs

will probably have the investigators over for scotch, cigars and hookers.

[CanonRay]

5. I'll believe it when I see it...

call me skeptical. Blankenship is too rich and too well connected.

[AngryOldDem]

6. Sadly, that's true.

As evidenced by him virtually blowing off years of federal fines and citations.

[dflprincess]

9. And given that history I have to wonder why there would be any need to wait the

"outcome of an investigation by the federal agency that oversees mine safety before determining whether the mine's operators or its parent company should be prosecuted in federal court".

I hope he's not waiting until it all disappears from the public eye. I'm afraid I'm skeptical as well.

And the other thing I wonder about is, if the the Feds are so lax about enforcing mine safety, how well do you think they'll do enforcing any new regulations against the health insurers?

[valerief]

8. Yep. It's light years from could and will. nt

[Jim__]

7. That's a surprise.

If these mine operators were criminally prosecuted, I'm betting the number of miners killed would drop significantly.

[liberal N proud]

10. Corporations are people now so they could charge the company with murder.