Here’s a press release just issued by Alpha Natural Resources:

Abingdon, VA– June 3, 2011– Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.today confirmed its understanding that the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Massey Energy Company, Admiral Bobby R. Inman, has issued publicly a letter dated June 2, 2011, and released a document entitled, “Massey Energy’s Preliminary Report of Investigation of the Upper Big Branch Explosion.”

Alpha Natural Resources did not commission or authorize the release of this report or the letter, and was not given the opportunity to review either this report or the letter before their public release.

In Alpha’s view, a view it had expressed to Massey prior to the consummation of their merger, it was not appropriate to release any report purporting to contain Massey’s assessment of the cause of the Upper Big Branch explosion before Alpha had an opportunity to fully understand and assess the situation. Alpha will conduct its own review into the events at Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine and intends to fully cooperate with pending government investigations.

Although Alpha did not operate the Upper Big Branch mine at the time of this tragic explosion, Alpha feels strongly that the families of the fallen miners are owed a complete and final explanation of the circumstances surrounding the accident.