Feds fear witness intimidation in mine probe, create second team to investigate blast

Feds fear witness intimidation in mine probe

WASHINGTON — Federal officials concerned about witness intimidation said Tuesday they are setting up a second team to investigate the blast that killed 29 workers at a West Virginia coal mine.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration formed the special team of investigators to work anonymously with miners, victims’ families and others who fear retaliation for speaking freely.

“The work of this special team will be part of MSHA’s investigative process and it will give family members and others the opportunity to share information they might otherwise not feel comfortable passing along,” the agency’s director, Joe Main, said in a statement.

The new team will be led by former MSHA employee Robert Phillips, a 27-year veteran of the agency who headed the Coal Mine Safety and Health District Office in Vincennes, Ind.

Phillips will respond to an anonymous tip line set up to take calls about the investigation into the April 5 explosion. The phone number is 877-827-3966.

Jeff Gillenwater, a spokesman for mine owner Massey Energy Co., said the company “will continue to fully cooperate with all ongoing investigations.”

MSHA officials declined to identify any specific instance of intimidation or retaliation against workers or families of victims at the Upper Big Branch mine where the blast occurred.

Massey is offering $3 million to each of the families of the men killed in the explosion.

Last week, former Massey underground coal miner Chuck Nelson told West Virginia Public Broadcasting that Massey has “ways of getting back and people are so scared of losing their jobs that they’re not going to speak out.”

The new team will work alongside another group of investigators appointed last month to probe possible causes of the explosion and the operator’s compliance with federal health and safety standards.

MSHA also said it has formed an internal review team to evaluate the agency’s actions before the mine explosion. Those officials will make recommendations for improvements.