U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, the U.S. Attorney for West Virginia's Southern District says, based on what he has seen, officials with Alpha Natural Resources are making safety changes for the better at former Massey Energy coal mines. As part of an agreement reached with the U.S. Attorney's Office in December 2011, Alpha is required to make and report safety changes at the sites the company bought from Massey. Six months later, Alpha officials report accidents are down by almost a third, and injuries have dropped 25 percent. Goodwin says Alpha has done remedial safety maintenance at all of its former Massey mines and has added maintenance and safety personnel at former Massey operations as well. The company has also bought meters to monitor dangerous conditions at all of its mines and has established a mine safety and health research foundation.
