Don Blankenship in 2009: It’s ‘very difficult’ to obey ‘nonsensical’ safety rules.

[cal04]

Coal baron Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, complained last year that it is “very difficult” to obey “nonsensical” safety rules. On April 5, 2010, 25 miners died in an explosion at his Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, WV, which had racked up thousands of safety violations. Massey is appealing “at least 37 of the 50 citations for serious safety violations” the mine received last year. When asked in a June 2009 interview if he was concerned that Massey was complying with safety regulations, Blankenship derided them as “nonsensical”:

They’re very difficult to comply with. There’s so many of the laws that are, if you will, nonsensical from an engineering or a coal mining viewpoint. A lot of the politicians, they get emotional, as does the public, about the most recent accident, and it’s easy to get laws on the books that are not truly helping the health or safety of coal miners. I think we need to be very pragmatic and very careful when we’re passing laws of that nature to make sure that we create as much safety and as much health as can be created for each of the resources we expend.

Watch it:http://thinkprogress.org/2010/04/08/don-blankenship-in-2009-its-very-difficult-to-obey-nonsensical-safety-rules/


Blankenship concluded the interview by saying that his company has had “very good success on the safety and the environment.”

[Ikonoklast]

1. He is a criminal.

Blankenship cares not who he kills in his mines, as long as he makes money.

Murderer.

[derby378]

2. After that, he pinched his fingers together...

...and induced a Sith chokehold on the interviewer, commenting, "I find your lack of faith in Massey disturbing."

[Grand Taurean]

3. Several County "Music" singers were at his August 09' teaparty rally.

Just saying.

[fasttense]

4. And he added

"It's so much easier to just let miners die."

[Tansy_Gold]

7. What a horrible thing to say, but also so horribly true. +100

Minute by minute I despise that creature more and more.

I am a fierce opponent of the death penalty, and an even fiercer opponent of "cruel and unusual" punishment, but Don Blankenship is pushing me close to rethinking those positions.



Tansy Gold, looking for a guillotine gif

[Petrushka]

8. One guillotine gif coming up --->

---self-delete---

Too gruesome! However, if you really need one,
it's at animationplayhouse.com/misc1-21.gif

[tech9413]

11. I've said many times before the most fitting punishment

is he should have to work for a year in one of his mines and live on the wages they pay.

[Botany]

5. "They get emotional"

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

West Virginia Coal Mine Tragedy
Cindy Davis, the mother of deceased coal miner Cory Davis, is greeted by members of the community Wednesday,
April 7, 2010 at a candlelight vigil in Cabin Creek, W.Va. Davis also lost a brother-in-law Timmy Davis Sr. and nephew
Josh Napper who were among the 25 miners killed on Monday at an explosion at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch Coal
Mine in Montcoal, W.Va.

[gratuitous]

10. Don Blankenship gets emotional, too

You should see him tear up when he has to pick up the check for lunch. Takes him the better part of half an hour to get a crowbar wedged into his wallet to get some cash out. Snivels the whole time.

[Petrushka]

6. K & R

:kick:

[Botany]

9. kicked

:kick: