House Democrats renewed their pressure on the company that took over West Virginia's Upper Big Branch coal mine to get behind mine safety reform legislation, taking full advantage of a written exchange between lawmakers and the company's top executive to urge support for the long-sought measures. Ranking Democrats on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the workforce protections subcommittee fired off another letter July 19 to Kevin Crutchfield, chief executive officer of Alpha Natural Resources, seeking more information about the mine's safety practices as well as his stance on
December 30, 2025