West Virginia Lawmakers Urged to Hold Mine Operators Accountable

West Virginia must hold coal operators accountable for any negligence or misconduct to prevent another Upper Big Branch, the worst U.S. coal mine disaster in four decades, the state’s special investigator of that deadly 2010 explosion told lawmakers this week. The investigator, J. Davitt McAteer, said legislators should look to a recent Pennsylvania measure that aims to hold mine managers responsible for accidents. West Virginia law now looks to the mine’s foreman, but McAteer said higher-ups make the decision that determine safety and production.