SEC Requiring Mine Operators Report Fatalities/Violations

• {Morgantown, West Virginia}...This week, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced new rules requiring mine operators to report fatalities and all major safety violations in quarterly and annual financial reports. The National Mining Association opposed the requirements when they were proposed and considers them duplicative. Spokeswoman Carol Raulston says the Mine Safety and Health Administration has a searchable database listing such information for every company. Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources says it's known about the requirements and will comply. Attorney Joel Bernstein, who is suing Massey Energy, says investors might have made better-informed decisions if Massey had been required to report safety violations to the SEC.