Mike Pouraryan
SP Newsflash (4/10/2010): The Tragedy in West Virginia
When the reports from China and West Virginia came, I wrote about the price of addiction for coal. Late Friday Night, the annoucement came that the 4 missing miners in West Virginia were confirmed to be dead. I can't even imagine how the families feel now.
There was one miner's story that really moved me. He was 61 years old and was five weeks away from retirement. He wanted to take his wife on their first cruise. There are many such stories that will continue on as the investigations now begin. What about Massey Energy, the owner, though?
Massey's CEO, apparently, had a recent tweet talking about dismissing the need to cut the cycle of addiction by noting that America need red white and blue jobs--not green jobs. This is the same CEO that wanted to move coal at all cost. This is the same company that owes 90 Million Dollars in fines for the Government. The mine that killed those miners had some 600 violations alone. I have to wonder how this man sleeps well at night.
Why is it that in the name of living well, we have to sacrifice so much? Isn't there a better way?
There was one miner's story that really moved me. He was 61 years old and was five weeks away from retirement. He wanted to take his wife on their first cruise. There are many such stories that will continue on as the investigations now begin. What about Massey Energy, the owner, though?
Massey's CEO, apparently, had a recent tweet talking about dismissing the need to cut the cycle of addiction by noting that America need red white and blue jobs--not green jobs. This is the same CEO that wanted to move coal at all cost. This is the same company that owes 90 Million Dollars in fines for the Government. The mine that killed those miners had some 600 violations alone. I have to wonder how this man sleeps well at night.
Why is it that in the name of living well, we have to sacrifice so much? Isn't there a better way?
