Massey Energy To Bid On Idled Washington County Mine

The company that owns the West Virginia mine where an explosion killed 29 miners this month wants to reopen a Washington County mine.

The Massey Energy company is expected to bid on the idled Mathies Mine near New Eagle in Washington County. A bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for May 10, when Massey has indicated in writing it will bid on the property.

VIDEO: Massey Energy To Bid On Idled Washington Co. Mine

People in New Eagle said they know about Massey's past, but look forward to the new jobs they could bring.

“There's no big businesses down here in the valley anymore,” said business owner Rick Radic. “So anything of that nature is good news.”

“The eyes will be on them, but we definitely need jobs,” another man said.

Massey Energy did not immediately return calls seeking comment Friday afternoon.

Virginia-based Massey Energy also owns the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, W.Va., where 29 miners were killed in the April 5 explosion.

Four environmental groups are suing Massey Energy over more than 3,300 alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and surface mining laws.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston, W.Va., said Massey and five subsidiaries have dumped toxic aluminum into waterways from as many as 16 West Virginia mines.

Massey was notified of plans for the lawsuit in January and had previously denied the allegations.

Also, federal officials said they evacuated three Massey Energy coal mines in West Virginia in the past month after receiving anonymous complaints about dangerous conditions.

All three surprise inspections resulted in multiple citations for what the Mine Safety and Health Administration calls serious violations.

An evacuation at Independence Coal's Cook Mine in Boone County came just four days after the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine.

Massey acknowledged MSHA found conditions that didn't meet company or industry standards. But Massey denied MSHA's assertion there was a fire at one of the mines.

Massey said it has fired eight employees since the inspections, provided additional training and increased its own unannounced inspections.

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