By John Ballard
NPR ran a story this morning that I expected to be big news but so far it seems to have "no legs."
Audio at the link.
West Virginia's mine disaster three weeks ago is now the subject of a federal criminal investigation.
NPR News has learned that the FBI investigation targets the Mine Safety and Health Administration. It also targets Massey Energy, the owner of the Upper Big Branch Mine.
NPR's Howard Berkes has been covering this story. He's on the line in Beckley, West Virginia. Howard, good morning.
HOWARD BERKES: Good morning.
INSKEEP: What exactly are federal investigators looking into here?
BERKES: There are two things, basically. One, the possible bribery of officials from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. These are the people responsible for inspecting mines and enforcing federal mining law and regulations. And there, you know, have always been rumors in the coal fields that mine inspectors, mine officials, are taking bribes from mining companies to overlook safety problems. We've heard things like that for decades, but they're rarely proven and they're rarely prosecuted. So this would be a major step if it turns out that such a thing has taken place.
And the other the other part of the investigation is Massey Energy itself, the owner of the Upper Big Branch Mine. We're told that the litany of violations that this company has amassed over the years may lead to potential criminal negligence as investigators look into that. Again, we've heard unsubstantiated claims about actions on the part of Massey Energy; for example, to bridge methane monitors so that they're not working properly.
We're getting all this, by the way, from sources who are close to the investigation. The FBI is declining to comment, and they won't confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
As the day wears on I sense stonewalling.
Updated at 3:25 pm ET --
A federal law-enforcement source is denying that the Mine Safety and Health Administration is being investigated as part of a larger probe into the circumstances surrounding the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in West Virginia.
NPR has reported that Massey Energy and MSHA were the subjects of investigations.
The federal law enforcement source said: "I can say that there's an investigation but it's not about them (MSHA)"
NPR stands by its earlier report.
It's nearly five o'clock at this posting and still nothing more at the NPR site.
And the audio link remains active.
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