The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in the USA has selected the Green Valley Preparation Plant and two mines operated by the Aracoma Coal Co to receive Pacesetter Awards for outstanding safety achievements. Green Valley and Aracoma are operating units of Massey Energy Co. The awards to the Green Valley plant and Aracoma’s Alma and Hernshaw mines honour operations with exceptionally low lost-time accident rates.In 2007, workers at Green Valley logged 64,000 hours without a lost time accident and a NFDL rate of zero.  Non-fatal days lost (NFDL) rates are the benchmark used by the coal industry to measure safety. The miners at Aracoma Coal Cohad no lost time accidents in 2007 therefore a 0.00 NFDL rate.  During 2007, the miners at Aracoma worked over 574,000 hours. Aracoma also received Massey Energy’s prestigious Bradbury Safety Award in
March in recognition of their outstanding safety achievements.
 “Safety is our top priority at Massey, and we are pleased that MSHA has again recognised our members’ unwavering commitment to working safely everyday. Our Aracoma members had a very difficult year after the tragedy in 2006, but they responded by pulling together to create a culture of safety,” said Don L. Blankenship, Chairman and CEO.  “All of us at Massey Energy are proud of the accomplishments of the members at Green Valley and Aracoma.”

The stellar safety records at Green Valley and Aracoma helped Massey Energy achieve its best safety performance in the company’s history in 2007. Massey recorded a NFDL rate of 2.05 for the year, far below the industry
average of 3.31.