Subscribe today. | Dec. 3, 2010 – Massey announces that Blankenship will retire as CEO effective Dec. 31.

A buildup of toxic methane gas forced rescue workers from the mine early this morning.

"He told me of running out of a coal mine as fine silty dust trailed behind him. "Families without fathers, families without grandfathers ... some children not being took care of.". | March 22, 2011 – A former Upper Big Branch miner, Thomas Harrah, is charged with lying about having a foreman’s license while performing safety checks at the mine between January 2008 and August 2009. also refused to answer questions from investigators. "We were able to make it, since we weren't that far underground right there at that side of the mountain.

| Nov. 13, 2014 – Blankenship is indicted on federal charges, Prosecutors allege that he conspired to cause routine and willful violations of mandatory federal mine safety and health standards at UBB; conspired to cover up mine safety violations and hinder federal enforcement efforts by providing advance warning of government inspections; and made false statements about Massey’s safety practices prior to the explosion. "I thought they had things like alarm systems and things that would go off in the mines. | Dec. 10, 2010 – Blankenship asserts his Fifth Amendment rights, refusing to testify in the government’s investigation of the mine disaster. It is possible "I wouldn't do anything else.". Eleven of the dead miners have been identified so far. Love each other and come together as a family.".

"I'm sure the response will vary all over the board with the miners and their families," Rohaly said. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. One miner came out of the mine during the day shift but lost his son, Cory Davis; his older brother, Timmy Davis Sr.; and his nephew, Josh Napper, in the explosion. Some researchers suggested that this could have helped prevent the disaster. | Feb. 28, 2013 – During a plea hearing in federal court, Hughart alleges that Blankenship was part of the conspiracy to violate mine safety laws. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

In November, the MSHA threatened to seize the mine in order to conduct a test of the mine's dust suppressing spray system, accusing Massey of impeding investigation efforts. Byrd died a month later. They understand the challenges. Click here to stay informed and subscribe to The Charleston Gazette-Mail.

The air flow in the tunnel was directing the gas away from safety sensors, meaning that they could not accurately monitor the air quality. | March 6, 2012 – West Virginia lawmakers pass a mine safety bill that was weakened by negotiations with industry lobbyists and focuses on drug testing miners, despite the lack of a link between drug abuse and the UBB explosion. "I just hope they get to the bottom of this.". You have permission to edit this article. The same day, MSHA releases its report on the mine disaster, which finds the deaths were “entirely preventable.”. On Jan. 19, 2011 the MSHA met with families affected by the disaster to discuss the organization's first theory on what caused the explosion: a methane leak ignited and due to worn longwall bits -- coal dust -- lingering in the air. "A lot of bad things have to happen at the same time, in my opinion.". Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. | Jan. 31, 2011 – Alpha Natural Resources announces that it is buying Massey Energy.

Who or what caused the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, and why do you think so?

1) The explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine on Monday, April 5, 2010, occurred at approximately 3:02 p.m. Winds light and variable.. Clear skies. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. Step-by-step solution: Chapter: CHC1 CHC2 CHC3 CHC4 CHC5 CHC6 CHC7 CHC8 CHC9 CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH7 CH8 CH9 CH10 CH11 CH12 CH13 CH14 CH15 CH16 CH17 CH18 CH19 Problem: 1DQ 2DQ 3DQ 4DQ Hard-working people. At the end of 2010, Blankenship stepped down. She described how families clung to each other in a holding area, eyes trained on the door waiting for word from mine officials. Many of the violations had to do with inadequate ventilation, which proved to hinder investigation efforts. "My father was a coal miner in WV in the 1930s," one poster wrote. The April 5, 2010, explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine-South in Montcoal, W.Va., was the largest coalmine disaster in the United States in 40 years. After mining The mine disaster took place in the United States. Partly cloudy. | April 27, 2010 – As the first congressional hearings on UBB are held, U.S. West Virginia Gov. injuries (Wellington, 2011). It placed the blame not only on failed safety mechanisms (similar to the theory developed by the MSHA), but also on Massey's mismanagement and lack of federal oversight. the rescue workers had unknowingly walked past the bodies, lax safety standards and hundreds of safety violations, President Obama condemned the energy company's owners, investigators couldn't enter it for two months, NPR report revealed that possible tampering, Massey Energy was presented with a safety award, WCHS interview with Massey CEO Don Blankenship in November, Tensions eased as the year drew to a close, released an independent report on the disaster, settlement amount Massey first offered in the weeks following the disaster, SoCal Gas Has Permanently Stopped Leak in Gas Well Above Porter Ranch, State Confirms, Must Watch Docs: Five Thought-Provoking Energy Films For Summer, Is Climate Change "Not Debatable"? Timeline of Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster events, information about what happened – and about victims or survivors – is sketchy, the bodies of the other four miners have been found, first congressional hearings on UBB are held. Harrah pleaded guilty and spent 10 months in jail. "I don't understand why it had to happen," Janice Florence told "World News with Diane Sawyer." However, some families have opted to file wrongful death suits against the coal company. Stanley Stewart said he was between 300 and 400 feet under the ground, preparing to start his shift, when the blast hit. Almost immediately after the disaster, reports of lax safety standards and hundreds of safety violations from the Upper Big Branch Mine surfaced. In total, 29 miners were killed, making it the worst coal accident in the U.S. since 1970. Nearly everyone in the community surrounding Massey Energy Co.'s Upper Big Branch mine near Whitesville, W.Va., has been affected by the worst mine disaster in … | May 20, 2010 –Blankenship spars with Sen. Robert C. Byrd and United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts over Massey’s troubled safety record during a Senate hearing. Investigators from the Mine Safety and Health Administration today briefed reporters on what they believe caused the Upper Big Branch mine explosion that killed 29 in West Virginia last April. "I started running towards the portal.

"There's an inherent risk in there, but there's an inherent risk on the highway," Morris said. | November 28, 2012 – Prosecutors reveal that a longtime Massey official, David Hughart, is cooperating in their probe and will plead guilty two taking part in a conspiracy to violate mine safety rules.

Rescue workers were chased out of the mangled mine by poisonous gases early today, and officials said that search teams would not be allowed back in until they can test the air in the area where they hope the miners are holed up with clean air. Tensions eased as the year drew to a close, and an extension was granted for Massey to keep studying its own mine. Manchin said an investigation would come later. Step-by-step solution: Chapter: Problem: FS show all steps . 05/04/2010 - Upper Big Branch - Explosion / Methane Explosion, Coal Dust Explosion On April 5, 2010, at approximately 3:02 p.m., a massive coal dust explosion occurred at the Upper Big Branch Mine-South (UBB), killing 29 miners and injuring two. Due to faulty water spraying systems, the fire spread throughout the mine. Hughart was sentenced to 42 months in prison, and isn’t scheduled for release until October 2016. President Obama condemned the energy company's owners in a statement, saying that the accident was "a failure first and foremost of management.". Blankenship's payout includes a free house for the rest of his life, $2.7 million on retirement, and a monthly "salary continuation retirement benefit" of $18,241.

But hopes are waning for the men still under the ground. Officials claimed their study of the gas in he air -- 90 percent methane and 6 percent ethane -- matches the composition of natural gas rather than what coalbed methane would put into the air of the mine, meaning an unexpected "natural disaster" occured rather than an accident due to negligence.

ABC News' David Muir, Cleopatra Andreadis and Lee Ferran, and The Associated Press contributed to this report. | Dec. 8, 2010 -- Republicans in the U.S. House block an effort by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., to pass a mine safety reform bill named for Byrd. | Oct 25, 2011 – A report by the United Mine Workers union calls the Upper Big Branch deaths “industrial homicide.”, | Dec. 6, 2011 – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announces his office has reached an agreement not to prosecute Alpha Natural Resources for any criminal liability it inherited when it bought Massey. Almost immediately after the disaster, reports of lax safety standards and hundreds of safety violations from the Upper Big Branch Mine surfaced. 2) There are two possibilities for the ignition. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. "We just hurried up and high-tailed it back to the outside," he said. Five and a half hours later, Massey issues a statement saying that 25 miners are dead and four more workers still missing. Here is a timeline of major events involving the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster: Thank you for reading!

| April 10, 2010 – At about 12:30 a.m., Gov. "The families want closure," Manchin told reporters. “The internal review was designed to identify shortcomings so that we, as an agency, could take necessary actions to improve mine safety and health,” said Joseph Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. "In this day and age this kind of mine disaster is unheard of," Rohaly said.

By September, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration's investigation determined coal dust to be a major factor in the mine's explosion.