.Federal officials block open hearings into West Virginia explosion

On Monday, lawyers representing families of the coal miners killed in the April 5 blast at the Upper Big Branch Mine filed suit in a US District Court in Charleston, West Virginia, seeking to overturn the decision of the Obama administration to hold closed-door interviews of witnesses.

The decision by Joseph Main, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), will mean family members of the 29 dead miners and their lawyers will be prevented from hearing testimony. They will also be barred from asking any questions or presenting additional testimony.

In taking secret testimony the Obama administration is continuing the practice of the Bush administration. This only underscores the fact that the official investigation will be another whitewash, which allows the coal operators to continue killing and maiming miners with impunity.

Faced with the growing anger and disgust of family members and other coal miners, the United Mine Workers, several local and national media organizations, and even Massey Energy—the owner of the Upper Big Branch mine—have called for public hearings. MSHA chief Joe Main was formerly the head of safety for the United Mine Workers union.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/may2010/mine-m12.shtml

to interfere with the well-informed electorate necessary for democracy.

What is really happening in the White House? Secret testimony re mining industry. Ken Salazar overlord for MSHA too? He's doing a heck of a job with drill baby drillers. :thumbsdown:

"Change" you can believe in, baby!

Just keep repeating it over and over

before it gets better or if it ever will.

I'll have to remember that

:toast: :fistbump:

tunneling nearby to set bombs ...

the transported to the correct co-ordinance and set of the explosion

Liberal Environmentalists have a leg up on conservatives because we have science and they have a book written before 99% of all scientific discoveries

And are trying to downplay this tragedy in order to pursue their agenda. Much the same tact that they're taking with the current oil disaster. Publicly expressing sorrow, yet turning around and granting the same sort of safety exemptions granted to BP.

No shame, none whatsoever.