The Mining Disaster That Brought Down the 'Dark Lord of Coal'

The Mining Disaster That Brought Down the 'Dark Lord of Coal'

From Lawless Planet by Audible

April 27, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 41

About this episode

The episode discusses the rise and fall of Don Blankenship, a controversial coal CEO, and the implications of his actions on the coal industry.

Don Blankenship grew up poor in the heart of West Virginia coal country, but rose to become a union-busting CEO with a track record prioritizing profits over safety. For decades, he operated with seeming impunity, even as his company, Massey Energy, spilled toxic coal slurry into local waterways, and its miners died in preventable accidents. Then, in 2010, a disaster too big to ignore finally brought Blankenship down. But what does his long career reveal about an industry that the Trump administration is trying to revitalize? Sources: Peter A. Galuszka's book Thunder on the Mountain: Death at Massey and the Dirty Secrets Behind Big Coal Sludge documentary Mine War on Blackberry Creek documentary CBS’s 60 Minutes report “From inmate to candidate: Who is Don Blankenship?” Jeff Goodell’s Rolling Stone article “Don Blankenship: The Dark Lord of Coal” https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/don-blankenship-the-dark-lord-of-coal-country-184288/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Topics covered

  • mining disaster
  • coal industry
  • safety regulations
  • corporate accountability
  • environmental impact

Keywords

  • Don Blankenship
  • Massey Energy
  • coal mining
  • safety
  • environmental disaster
  • West Virginia
  • Trump administration
  • corporate greed

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Massey Energy, CBS, Rolling Stone

Books & works: Thunder on the Mountain: Death at Massey, Mine War on Blackberry Creek, 60 Minutes, Don Blankenship: The Dark Lord of Coal

Places: West Virginia

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