The mining company Alpha Natural Resources, which owns Massey Energy, has agreed to pay $209 million after a mine explosion last year killed 29 miners. $46.5 million will go to the families of the miners and those that were injured. Many of the families want executives at the company, who they say ignored safety violations that led to the explosion, should be prosecuted. However, experts say that weak penalties for such violations make prosecution difficult. But others say that the Mine Safety and Health Administration has already stepped up their inspections of the mines, though some question whether those inspections actually lead to safer mines.
See "Mine Owner Will Pay $209 Million in Blast That killed 29 Workers", Sabrina Tavernise and Clifford Krauss, The New York Times, December 6, 2011