Latest Mining Headlines

All the headlines from our Mining Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Mine Safety Agency Wins Order Over Unsafe Massey Mine in Kentucky

Jan 6 2011 // Federal mine safety officials have won a settlement with Massey Energy that requires the firm to immediately take safety measures at one of its mines in Kentucky that federal officials say is very dangerous.The U.S....

Heavy Rains, Floods Disrupt Australia Coal Mining, Port, Freight Operations

Dec 29 2010 // Heavy rains and flooding in Australia’s key coal-producing Queensland state have impacted mining operations and brought parts of the coal infrastructure, including rail and ports, to a standstill, operators said on...

Inspections Reducing Mine Safety Violations: U.S. Official

Dec 28 2010 // Conducting special inspections to crack down on mines with poor safety records appears to be working, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said last week.The agency said it issued 250 citations and orders...

Gay Miner Suing Massey West Virgina Unit Charges Harassment

Dec 28 2010 // A gay coal miner is suing a Massey Energy Co. subsidiary, charging that management didn’t protect him from abusive co-workers.The lawsuit names Massey’s Spartan Mining Co. and a foreman at a Kanawha County mine...

State Says Massey CEO Won’t Testify in Mine Explosion Probe

Dec 14 2010 // Outgoing Massey Energy executive Don Blankenship is refusing to testify as planned next week about the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine, state mine safety officials said.Deputy Director Eugene White said the Office...

Massey Shuts Kentucky Mine; Cites Danger in West Virginia

Dec 3 2010 // Massey Energy Co. has shut down a Kentucky coal mine that federal regulators had cited for safety violations and said another of its mines in West Virginia was in danger of collapse following heavy rains.The mining company...

Massey CEO to Testify About Deadly West Virginia Mine Blast

Dec 2 2010 // Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship is expected to testify Dec. 14 in the probe of an April explosion that killed 29 men in West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch mine.The state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and...

Judge Upholds West Virginia Mine Accident Reporting Rule

Nov 29 2010 // A Kanawha County Circuit Court judge has upheld a state law giving coal mine operators 15 minutes to tell regulators about fires and other serious accidents. Judge Tod Kaufman’s ruling came in a case involving...

Safety Officials Warn 13 Mines in 7 States

Nov 22 2010 // Federal regulators late Friday warned 13 mining operations in seven states, including two owned by troubled Massey Energy Co., to show improvement on safety or face stricter enforcement.The Mine Safety and Health...

New Zealand Coal Mine Blast Traps 27 Miners Underground

Nov 19 2010 // An explosion rocked a remote colliery in New Zealand on Friday, trapping 27 miners underground, the company and local authorities said.The new mine, which only began shipping coal this year, is dug into the side of a...

Employer Leave of Absence, Return-to-Work Process a Potential Minefield

Nov 17 2010 // Managing multiple leaves of absence and the return-to-work process may require navigating a maze of complementary and conflicting requirements. Yet it’s important to manage these decisions properly, as appropriate...

U.S. Seeks to Shut Massey Mine in Kentucky Over Safety

Nov 4 2010 // Mine safety regulators have filed a motion against a company owned by Massey Energy , claiming safety violations at one of its mines in Kentucky, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday.It said its Mine Safety and...

West Virginia Court Upholds Mine Safety Office Authority

Nov 3 2010 // The authority of West Virginia’s mine safety office to suspend coal miners has been upheld by the state Supreme Court.The decision stems from the death of locomotive driver Victor Goudy at Consol Energy’s...

Willis Consolidates, US, UK Group Mining Practice

Oct 21 2010 // Willis Group Holdings announced that it has incorporated its US, UK and International hubs of mining expertise into one worldwide group practice, which will report to Steve Hearn, London-based Chairman of Global Markets...

Australian Mines, Sugar Growers Face Increased Cyclone Threat

Oct 19 2010 // Australia faces almost double the number of destructive tropical cyclones, possibly as many as 22, across oil and gas, iron ore and sugar production regions during 2010/11 cyclone season, the weather bureau said.The...

Massey Cited for Serious Violations at West Virginia Mine

Oct 13 2010 // A surprise inspection has turned up serious safety violations that could have caused an explosion at another Massey Energy Co. coal mine in West Virginia, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration announced last...

Judge Cuts Fines Against ICG for Deadly Sago Mine Blast in 2006

Oct 12 2010 // An administrative law judge has reduced some of the fines levied against International Coal Group Inc. for the 2006 Sago Mine explosion that killed 12 men and downgraded some violations the Mine Safety and Health...

Federal Regulators Taking New Steps to Identify Most Dangerous Mines

Sep 30 2010 // Federal regulators have implemented new measures for identifying the nation’s most dangerous mines, replacing what U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis had called a “badly broken” process.The Mine Health and...

Dow Settles Hazardous Chemical Exposure Claims with Alabama Miners

Sep 29 2010 // Dow Chemical Co. and Flexible Products Co. settled with nearly 1,400 miners in an Alabama court over the miners’ claims they were exposed to hazardous chemicals, Dow said Tuesday.The surprise settlement involving...

Massey CEO Accuses Feds of Lying in West Virginia Mine Probe

Sep 23 2010 // The embattled chief executive of Massey Energy has accused federal regulators of not making a genuine effort to investigate the explosion that killed 29 miners and injured two at the company’s Upper Big Branch mine...