[Old School]

Ever been to Martin County Sir? We Know what its like for the Coal Industries to Piiss down are back and tell us its raining.

Im sure you remember October 11 2000 just as clear as i do. If not here is a history lesson. The Martin County Sludge Spill! When the bottom of a coal sludge impoundment owned by Massey Energy released Over 300 million gallons of slurry down two tributaries of the Tug Fork River. The Spill filled the creeks 5 feet deep of sludge. Filling almost every Coldwater yard with nothing but oozing sludge. The water supply for over 27,000 residents was contaminated, and all aquatic life in Coldwater Fork and Wolf Creek was killed. You can walk outside to any creek bank in martin county and just turn a rock over and its black. The fish are finally coming back 10 years later.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), oversaw the Mine Safety and Health Administration at the time. Chao place a McConnell staffer in charge of the MSHA investigation into the spill. In 2002, a $5,600 fine was levied. That September Massey gave $100,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, chaired by McConnell.

$5,600? That ought to clean everything up!

I don't want no coal miner to lose his job. But the coal industries have put the workers and the citizens around them in danger for years. There finally getting a taste of there own medicine.

[Image: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/10/20/sludge.jpg]

Go watch This Video. http://appalshop.org/sludge/video/Sludge...20High.mov

Wikipedia is a wonderful tool isn't it WC.

You do realize that this disaster was not caused by flooding, and the impoundment did not break, a portion of a underground mine was not sealed properly, and the impoundment was built over this section of the mine. When the old underground mine caved in, the impoundment drained into the abandoned mine and out the portals then into the creeks.

We all need to realize that these types of disasters happen, we've had nuclear spills, oil spills, chemical spills etc. that have temporarily damaged property. The important thing is that we learn from these accidents to ensure they never happen again. It has been almost 10 years since the Martin County spill happened and nearly 40 years after the Buffalo Creek disasater. After each, new techniques were developed to ensure these disaster do not repeat themselves.

Trust me this disaster cost Massey more than the $5,600 fine you mentioned. Massey spent hundreds of millions of dollars on this spill.