US Labor Secretary responds to sentencing of ex-coal operator Blankenship - United States Department of Labor

US Labor Secretary responds to sentencing of ex-coal operator Blankenship - United States Department of Labor: WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement about today’s sentencing of former Massey Energy Chief Executive Officer Donald Blankenship: “This sentence proves that no mine operator is above the law, and should send a strong signal to unscrupulous employers that skirt safety rules. No prison sentence and no amount of money can bring back the 29 men who lost their lives at Upper Big Branch, but my sincere hope is that this sentence can offer some measure of closure for the families of those miners.