Massey Energy Honors Mine Rescue Teams and Safety Award Winners

CHARLESTON, W.Va., March 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Massey Energy Company honored mine rescue teams throughout the coal industry as well as the winner of its prestigious Bradbury Safety Award and related Best of Class winners at the Company's 12th Raymond A. Bradbury Awards Banquet in Charleston, West Virginia on the evening of March 7.

The coveted Bradbury Safety Award rewards excellence at Massey's safest mining operation and reflects Massey's commitment to building mining's premier safety culture.

In 2005, Massey Energy achieved the best safety performance in its history by recording a non-fatal days lost (NFDL) rate of 2.41, compared to an industry average of 3.36. NFDL rates are the benchmark used by the coal industry to measure safety. "It was another record performance and something we are extremely proud of," said Don L. Blankenship, Chairman and CEO. "This is especially impressive considering Massey members worked in excess of 13,000,000 hours for the year." The record safety performance for 2005 improved upon Massey's previous record performance in 2004.

Massey subsidiary Martin County Coal Corporation, located in Martin County, Kentucky, was the 2005 winner of the Bradbury Safety Award. Martin County members worked over 460,000 hours during 2005 without a single lost time accident. Martin County Coal President Dave Hensley accepted the award on behalf of Martin County's 155 miners. Other finalists for the award included Endurance Mining Company, Green Valley Coal Company, Nicholas Energy Company and Progress Coal Company.

"Best of Class" awards honoring the safest Massey preparation plant, underground mine, surface mine, highwall miner and trucking operation were also awarded. To qualify for the award, an operation must experience no lost time or restricted duty accidents. In 2005, several Massey operations qualified in each class. The "Best of Class" winners were:

Preparation plants: Delbarton Mining Company -- Delbarton plant Underground mines: Green Valley Coal Company -- White Buck #2 Surface mines: Logan County Mine Services -- South Surface Mine Highwall miners: Logan County Mine Services -- North Surface highwall Trucking: Martin County Coal Corporation -- Martin County Trucking

The "Stan Suboleski Mine of the Year" award, recognizing the top operation that met or exceeded production goals while maintaining a zero accident rate, was awarded to Progress Coal Company's Twilight surface mine.

"Many of the safety procedures that are already in place at Massey and some other coal companies need to be implemented into law," said Blankenship. He suggested the following items for implementation:

* All personnel carriers should be required by law to have a canopy to protect miners from overhead hazards and side netting to minimize the impact of materials falling into the personnel carrier. * All newly manufactured roof-bolting machines should be equipped with deflector pads attached to the automatic temporary roof support to better protect miners from rib or roof falls. * Continuous miners should be equipped with technology that allows the operator to remotely remove the continuous miner from unsupported or inadequately supported roof conditions in order to make repairs. This would include "panic switch reset," "remote methane detection system reset" and "tram breaker automatic reset" technologies. Additionally, continuous miners should be equipped with isolator switches designed to break the circuit at the power center instead of at the continuous miner. * Rock trucks capable of carrying fifty tons or more should be equipped with stairways instead of ladders to facilitate safe travel to and from the operator's compartment. * Clothing with reflective tape, decals, patches or other reflective materials should be worn by each miner so as to make the miner clearly visible from the front, side and rear.

"Even one accident is too many," stated Blankenship. "Industry wide implementation of these safety initiatives will reduce accidents. We strongly encourage legislators and industry participation to support legislation mandating these and other safety enhancements."

Massey Energy also introduced and honored members of the many mine rescue teams from around the industry that responded to the tragic Alma Mine fire on January 19, 2006. In addition to Massey's East Kentucky team and Southern West Virginia team, Massey was pleased the following teams were present to be recognized:

Pinnacle Mining's -- Blue Mine Rescue Team Consol's Buchanan Mine Rescue Team Consol's Corporate Coordination Team Consol's of Kentucky Mine Rescue Team Excel Kentucky Excel Illinois Mine Rescue Teams Peabody's Federal No. 2 Mine Rescue Team Pinnacle's Gray Mine Rescue Team Burge Spillman's Mountaineer No. 1 Mine Rescue Team Burge Spillman's Mountaineer No. 2 Mine Rescue Team Pocahontas Mine Rescue Team Foundation Coal's Riverton Mine Rescue Team Peabody's Eastern Mining Southern Appalachia Mine Rescue Team Charlie Justice's Southern Coalfield Association Mine Rescue Team Consol Energy's VP-8 Mine Rescue Team

The following teams were not present at the awards banquet, but were also recognized.

Arch -- Mountaineer Mine Rescue Cumberland Mine Rescue Team Emerald Mine Rescue Team Jewell Smokeless No. 1 Mine Rescue Team Jewell Smokeless No. 2 Mine Rescue Team Lone Mountain Mine Rescue Team MSHA Mine Emergency Unit State of WV Mine Emergency Response Team

"The efforts of these teams were heroic and words cannot express our appreciation for them," Chris Adkins, Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer said. "They proved what we all know: the coal industry is an extended family that cares about the safety of every miner."

Massey Energy Company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the fourth largest coal producer by revenue in the United States.