Massey Energy Co. (MEE) said it will halt production for three
days at one of its West Virginia mines after federal regulators
this week called safety conditions there "nothing short of
outrageous."
The stand-down comes after the Mine Safety and Health
Administration on Tuesday issued 20 withdrawal orders and five
citations to the Randolph Mine in Boone County, W.Va., and accused
the company of failing to clean up its act after a fatal 2010
explosion at its Upper Big Branch mine.
The Randolph Mine is owned by Massey Energy and operated by
Inman Energy.
Massey said it will idle production Friday, Monday and Tuesday
while its miners take additional training courses in safety
practices, ventilation procedures and mine plan requirements. The
training follows an eight-hour seminar the agency required them to
attend Monday.
Administration officials conducted the surprise inspection last
week at the Randolph Mine and found mine workers engulfed in coal
dust and combustible materials in the form of loose coal
accumulated in working areas.
They also found that ventilation curtains, used to protect
workers against black lung, weren't being used in some areas. On
arriving at the mine, officials took control of phones at the mine
office and guard shack to make sure mine workers didn't alert their
colleagues underground.
President and Chief Executive Baxter Phillips said Massey was
disappointed by the inspection results and ordered the stand-down
to reinforce safety practices.
Shares were recently up 1.8% to $63.02 Friday, in line with the
broader market.
-By Drew FitzGerald, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2909; Andrew.FitzGerald@dowjones.com