The Martin County Coal Slurry Spill

[SpacesCorners]

So much for "clean coal", huh. Slurry dams don't seem too clean to me.

[lilly195]

i cant believe that something like that is allowed to happen, people are loosing their homes because of events like this!

[levisnteeshirt]

i worked for a massey company ,,, the salary people live in fright of Don Blankenship ,,, state inspectors should live at Massy projects because they really pushed the envenlope

[UKbadneighbor]

Please tell us more - any inside stories about Massey would be interesting and helpful. Thanks

[bigolhillbilly]

The EPA ordered Martin County Coal to remove waste materials that had been discharged; restore the impacted streams and adjacent areas; and offset any temporary or permanent impacts to the environment." Massey Energy has spent over $46 million in cleanup and has begun restoration efforts. Additionally, Massey agreed to pay the State of KY $3.25 million in damages and penalties. The WV Dept. of Env. Protection (DEP) and Div. of Nat. Res.(DNR) settled their suit for $600,000.

NO RESPONSIBILITY?

[mountainjustice]

Massey didnt pay most of that cost, their insurance company did. And if you want to see how good a job they did with the cover-up, I mean clean-up - just take a shovel up Coldwater Creek and turn over the soil.

Dont waste your time trying to defend Massey. It will be much more fun to hit yourself over the head with a 2 x 4.

[bigolhillbilly]

Massey is definately not perfect. They could do alot more environmentally im sure, however to say their insurance paid most of it is laughable. Who pays the premiums and what would that kind of liability insurance cost? The circumstances leading to the failure of this impoundment were unforeseeable as I understand the investigation reports. Unfortunate outcome to unforeseeable circumstances, what a concept, I think that's called an accident unless you're a trial lawyer. Lawyers call it payday!

[mountainjustice]

According to former Mine Safety and Health Academy Director and sludge impoundment expert Jack Spadaro, there was a similar breakthrough at this same impoundment in 1994, and Massey knew that another breakthrough was inevitable. Spadaro said this on "60 Minutes."

It wasn't an unforeseen accident, it was preventable. Good, well-run companies prevent accidents. Bad companies make huge mistakes and deal with the consequences later by hiring lawyers and PR firms.

[Neweddy24]

@bigolhillbilly Anything else to say in defense of Massey?

[jchseagle2]

Just because accidents like this happen, doesn't mean that coal mining is the root of all evil. It is a way of life for me as well as thousands of other hard working men and women. Without coal we would not have the amenities that we have today that make our nation the best place to live in the world. I would like to see many of the people who are against coal mining try to live without the modern day necessities that it provides.

[kerpunktehmunk]

I think the real issue, at least for me, is about the coal industry's utter lack of responsibility in the face of gross neglect, ie this spill. Also, the Bush administration supposedly helped cover it up when it happened, but that's another story.

I think we'd be way better off if consumers and local communities had greater control over HOW these guys did business. These images portray a tragedy, the result of the unique tyranny that total unregulated markets inflict upon common people.

[SpacesCorners]

@jchseagle2 those necessities can be achieved through energy means that are NOT going to run out some day, do not damage the environment, and don't shorten/threaten peoples lives. Having a job is great, but at what cost are you making your money? A few decades of comfort and convenience... but when you and I are dead and gone, our children and grandchildren will be living with the broken, dirty, raped world we've left them.

[stantonairborn]

you know i live right next to this and kingston city is going on about there everyday thing like nothing happen at all not that much is shown on the local news or nothing this is total bull shit this part of tn is nothing now what once was a great place it is nothing at all

[dave777blaster]

no clean up will occur ever

as G W Bush signed into law his law that all coal companies can allow all toxic run off of coal operations into rivers

this is not an accident it is a new way of doing business.

Americans will not stand up and fight so you will be treated like clowns

[nyprogressive]

Thanks for getting these images up online. Given what's happened in Tennessee this December, incidents like these should warn us all about the false promise of "clean coal".

[xslavatoredictorian]

What happened with the cleanup for this? Has it been "finished"?

[mountainjustice]

It took Massey about 6 months to clean it up - the cost was $50 million - they cut down many trees to scoop out the sludge from the creeks - the spill caused a lot of damage but so did the heavy equipment to clean it up.

For more info on this disaster, there is a good documentary film - Appalshop's "Sludge"

It should come up on Google, its only $25 I think