New owner seals W.Va. mine where 29 died in blast
Jun 21, 2012, 1:03 PM
MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP) – The West Virginia coal mine where 29 men died in an explosion two years ago has been sealed shut by its new owners.
The Upper Big Branch mine hasn’t operated since the April 2010 blast that was the worst U.S. mine disaster in four decades.
The mine was run by Massey Energy, which was bought last year by Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources.
Alpha spokesman Ted Pile tells The Register-Herald (
http://bit.ly/KAJErY) that crews put a final concrete seal in place at the mine Wednesday.
Alpha announced earlier this year that it would close the mine for good. It sealed the mine’s portals, which are large tunnels used by miners to get underground.
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