According to federal investigators, Massey Energy — the folks who brought you the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed 29 — has been deliberately misleading inspectors about safety conditions at its mines. That's the Mine Safety and Health Administration's conclusion, based on 84,000 pages of documents and 266 interviews.
Massey literally kept two sets of books, like a Twin Peaks villain or something. The official, legally-mandated books didn't record safety problems or accidents; those all went in the secret books, which officials never saw. Having duplicate books in itself is pretty normal, but having a "clean" book for officials and a "dirty" book that's only seen internally is definitely a no-no. Especially when the safety hazards outlined in the secret book then BLOW UP AND KILL PEOPLE.
It's not clear yet whether this finding will lead to criminal charges against Massey. I mean, confabulation and negligence leading to people's deaths … why WOULD there be charges, really?
