Robert E. Murray

Robert Edward Murray (January 13, 1940October 25, 2020) was an American mining engineer and businessman.

He founded and was the chief executive officer of Murray Energy, a mining corporation based in St. Clairsville, Ohio, until it filed for bankruptcy.

Murray was criticized for his denial of climate change, his actions following the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse, and for several large SLAPP suits he initiated.

Murray was born on January 13, 1940, in Martins Ferry, Ohio.

He said he lied about his age so he could work in a coal mine at the age of 16 and provide for his family, had experienced multiple mining accidents including a head injury from being struck by a steel beam, had a scar running from his head down his back from a separate accident, and once was trapped in a dark mine for 12 hours before being rescued.

Murray was the valedictorian of the Bethesda High School class of 1957.

He received a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining from Ohio State University, and attended a six-week management program at Harvard Business School.

Murray began his mining career at the North American Coal Corporation (NACC).

He served in a variety of capacities at NACC, winning election to vice president of operations in 1969.

From 1974 to 1983, Murray was president of NACC's Western Division and presided over four of its subsidiaries in North Dakota.

In 1974, a strike took place at the Indian Head Mine in Zap, which NACC was attempting to close.

In 1983, he became president and CEO of NACC.

Murray was a member of the boards of directors of the National Mining Association, American Coal Foundation, National Coal Council, Ohio Coal Association, and Pennsylvania Coal Association.

He was a trustee and former president of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc., and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc., and president of The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute.

Murray founded Murray Energy in 1988 when he bought the Powhatan No. 6 mine from the Ohio Valley Coal Company.

Murray focused on high-heat bituminous coal, which he thought would be in demand for power generation.

The company later moved towards metallurgical coal used to produce coke for steel production.

In August 2007, six miners were trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah, which was co-owned and operated by Murray Energy subsidiary UtahAmerican Energy.

Three rescue workers died attempting to reach the miners, and a series of boreholes found that the miners were unlikely to have survived.

The miners were declared dead, and their bodies were never recovered.

Prior to the collapse, the Crandall Canyon Mine had received 64 violations and was fined $12,000.

Murray claimed that the Crandall Canyon Mine collapse was triggered by a natural 3.9 magnitude earthquake and that the practice of retreat mining was not responsible.

Responding to reports of retreat mining, Murray said: "I wish you would take the word retreat mining out of your vocabulary. Those were words invented by Davitt McAteer, Oppegard, who are lackies for the United Mine Workers, and officials at the United Mine Workers, who would like to organize this coal mine."

Seismologists and government officials disputed this claim, and said the mine collapse was the cause of a coal mine bump that was caused by the mine's use of retreat mining.

Richard E. Stickler, the government's top mine safety official, said: "It was not—and I repeat, it was not—a natural occurring earthquake."

An analysis by seismologists at the University of California, Berkeley found that the seismic event was "consistent with an underground collapse".

Researchers at the University of Utah also stated that the tremor was not triggered by an earthquake.

On July 24, 2008, the U.S. government's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced its highest penalty for coal mine safety violations, $1.85 million, for the collapse.

The government fined Genwal Resources $1.34 million "for violations that directly contributed to the deaths of six miners last year", plus nearly $300,000 for other violations.

The government also levied a $220,000 fine against a mining consultant, Agapito Associates, "for faulty analysis of the mine's design".

Robert Murray was criticized for his actions during the rescue attempt.

The MSHA cited his volatile behavior, especially at daily briefings for family members.

MSHA reported that he "frequently became very irate and would start yelling", even making young children cry.

He told family members that "the media is telling you lies" and "the union is your enemy."

Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct were brought against him in 2014 and 2016, which were later settled out of court.

Murray told the White House in a letter dated August 4, 2017, that without an emergency order to restart coal-fired electrical generating plants, his company and a major customer, power plant operator FirstEnergy Solutions, would declare bankruptcy.

Murray Energy Holdings, Co. filed bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on October 29, 2019.

Murray was replaced as CEO the same day, although he remained chairman of the board of the new entity, Murray NewCo, while his nephew Robert D. Moore would be president and CEO.

Employees expressed concern about losing their pensions and/or medical benefits.

Murray was the last major coal contributor to the United Mine Workers of America's pension plan.