Massey Energy Faces Criminal Probe

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) — Massey Ener­gy Co is under crim­i­nal inves­ti­ga­tion by the FBI after the dead­ly mine explo­sion ear­li­er this month in West Vir­ginia that killed 29, U.S. offi­cials famil­iar with the mat­ter said on Friday.

The FBI is prob­ing the com­pa­ny and the cir­cum­stances sur­round­ing the explo­sion, includ­ing for poten­tial neg­li­gence, the offi­cials said, declin­ing fur­ther identification.

The min­ers died at the Upper Big Branch mine in Mont­coal, West Vir­ginia, on April 5, in the worst U.S. min­ing dis­as­ter since 1970.

Pres­i­dent Barack Oba­ma attend­ed a memo­r­i­al ser­vice for the men on Sun­day and stressed the need for greater mine safe­ty. On April 15, he placed pri­ma­ry blame for the dis­as­ter on Massey.

FBI and Jus­tice Depart­ment offi­cials declined to com­ment. Nation­al Pub­lic Radio report­ed that the agency that reg­u­lates the indus­try, the Mine Safe­ty and Health Admin­is­tra­tion, was also under inves­ti­ga­tion relat­ed to poten­tial bribery, but one U.S. offi­cial denied that report.

"We are aware that inves­ti­ga­tors are inter­view­ing wit­ness­es, but are not aware of the nature of their inves­ti­ga­tion," the com­pa­ny said in a state­ment. "We intend to coöper­ate in all phas­es of the acci­dent inves­ti­ga­tion." More.