JULIAN, W.Va., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Massey Energy Company (NYSE: MEE) today released the following statement in remembrance of the coal miners who died or were injured in the April 5, 2010, Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine explosion in Montcoal, WV:

"As the one-year anniversary of the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine explosion approaches, Massey Energy continues to extend our sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathies to those families and communities who lost loved ones in this tragic accident. The Company remains fully committed to a thorough and comprehensive investigation that seeks to identify the primary causes of the explosion and provide answers to the UBB families and the communities we serve in Central Appalachia.

"In honor of the beloved miners that we lost in last year's accident, Massey Energy will idle production and hold a safety stand down at our 92 underground coal producing sections on April 5, 2011. In addition, Massey will conduct a company-wide, one minute and twenty-nine-second moment of silence at 3:02 pm EDT to pay tribute to the 29 miners who died in the UBB explosion."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20071031/MASSEYENERGYLOGO )

Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

SOURCE Massey Energy Company