The morning sun rises over Whitesville, WV and the memorial on the edge of town, dedicated to the 29 miners who lost their lives in the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster on April 5, 2010. It was the nation's worst coal mining disaster since 1970, with an independent investigation would later find mine owner Massey Energy and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) directly responsible for the blast. It is here where the all-volunteer WV Clean Water Hub has set up its office and dispatch center to get safe drinking water to those affected by the Elk River Chemical spill.

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Size: 4152px × 2763px
Photo credit: © James Fassinger / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: big, branch, coal, country, memorial, miners, monument, river, sunrise, upper, virginia, west, whitesville