Massey Energy Statement on Tiller Mine Ruling

JULIAN, W.Va., June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Massey Energy Company (NYSE: MEE) today released the following statement after an administrative law judge ruled that there is no pattern of violations that would lead to stricter regulation at Massey Energy's Tiller No. 1 Mine in Knox County, Virginia.  Joe Main, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), previously criticized the ruling and called for changes that will make it easier for MSHA to prevail in court in future cases:    

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071031/MASSEYENERGYLOGO )

"We are disappointed in the comments by MSHA.  The agency has eliminated informal conferences designed to review citations; has criticized operators for filing appeals; and now complains that the appeals process should be stacked in its favor.  Citations are judgment calls and even the most conscientious inspector can make the wrong judgment.  Unfortunately, however, whether it's the tragedy at UBB or citations at the Tiller Mine, the current administration at MSHA clearly does not want its own conduct reviewed or questioned."

Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and is included in the S&P 500 Index. http://masseyubb.com

SOURCE Massey Energy Company

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