- {West Virginia}...Massey Energy wants to know who violated the confidentiality of a $35 million settlement it reached with hundreds of people who say the company poisoned their wells with coal slurry. Two weeks after a confidential Alpha Natural Resources coal slurry settlement became public, a motion hearing will be held at 1:30 P.M. Tuesday, August 23rd, in the Kanawha County Courthouse’s Ceremonial Courtroom in an attempt to determine how the information was publicized. The suit, filed in Mingo County against Massey Energy and its subsidiary Rawl Sales & Processing, alleges that 1.4 billion gallons of slurry was pumped into underground mines, which ruined water supply. In a motion filed in Ohio County Circuit Court, Massey and Rawl subsidiary demand the plaintiffs’ lawyers turn over “a true and exact copy” of all correspondence sent to notify their clients of the deal. Massey says it needs to determine whether the lawyers took adequate steps to maintain secrecy. The motion also suggests Massey may demand sanctions. A hearing on the settlement and its distribution is set for September 29th in Charleston.
