According to the Associated Press, which obtained public records in Kentucky, Blankenship filed paperwork for a new venture called McCoy Coal Group in Belfry in January 2011 – just one month after his retirement from Massey. Massey was swallowed in an acquisition deal by Alpha Natural Resources six months later last June.

However, Kentucky Energy and Environment spokesperson Dick Brown told the news service no mining permits had been sought under the new company heading. Blankenship is listed as president of McCoy and several media outlets have reported his last residence as Tennessee.

The AP noted that, under his $US12 million severance package received when he exited Massey, he was prohibited from competing with the producer for a period of two years despite it now being merged with Alpha.

Alpha spokesman Ted Pile told the news service it was not aware of his current activities in the industry. However, Alpha “expects him to honor that agreement”, he said.

“While the agreement was, of course, with Massey, it now applies to Alpha and its affiliates,” he said.

The discovery of the new coal venture comes almost one year after the embattled executive left his post with Massey and just days after the release of the US Mine Safety and Health Administration’s final investigation report of Upper Big Branch mine explosion in Raleigh County that killed 29 workers.

Alpha said last week following the report’s release that it was still working on its own internal investigation into the blast.