According to the Associated Press, US district judge Irene Berger granted the extension to Massey on Tuesday in the form of a temporary order that expires Friday.
Berger is still reviewing a request from the producer for the ban to be in place during an upcoming lawsuit filed against five protesters arrested at Marfork in January.
The ban is against anti-coal activists from regional groups Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice as well as their agents and lawyers. The protesters have targeted Marfork in a year-long series of action.
Massey told ILN that on February 18 three “environmental terrorists” clad in fatigues and carrying chains entered Marfork Coal’s office and chained themselves to chairs in the lobby.
Marfork’s receptionist was taken to a local hospital by ambulance after the incident to be treated for shock.
“They are now trying to provoke Massey members into a confrontation,” Massey chairman Don Blankenship said late last week.
“The Raleigh County prosecutor needs to enforce the law and protect our hard-working members. These criminals have been allowed to become more and more aggressive with little repercussion.”
Massey confirmed that the three, all with prior arrests, were arrested by West Virginia State Police. Officials identified one as EarthFirst founding member Mike Roselle.
“[They] are part of an anti-coal group that wants to shut down mining in Appalachia and destroy West Virginia’s economy,” Blankenship said.
“Massey is committed to providing good-paying jobs … [and is] of the state’s largest revenue sources.”
In other news, Massey filed documentation with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to change the way its executives are paid in the event the company is sold.
In a new agreement, chief executive Blankenship, chief operating officer Christopher Adkins and chief financial officer Eric Tolbert would receive fixed lump-sum cash payments should such an event occur. The adjustment has been approved by Massey’s board of directors.
Previously, the group’s payments would have been based on formulas included in individual agreements.
No further details of the adjustments were outlined in the SEC filing and the company said information would be included in a later release.
