Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Democratic leader calls for scrutiny of Trump's mine safety nominee
Last edited Thu Sep 7, 2017, 10:28 AM - Edit history (2)
Latest on @realDonaldTrump nominee to run @MSHA_DOL
Link to tweet
Democratic leader calls for scrutiny of Trump's mine safety nominee
Ken Ward Jr. , Staff Writer September 6, 2017
The ranking Democrat on the House committee that oversees worker safety issues is calling for close scrutiny of {David Zatezalo,} President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
....
In 2010 and 2011, while Zatezalo was a top Rhino executive, the company had a series of run-ins with MSHA over safety and health conditions at mines in West Virginia and Kentucky, during a period when then-MSHA chief Joe Main was ramping up agency enforcement following the deaths of 29 miners at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in April 2010.
One of Rhino’s mines received back-to-back warning letters from MSHA about a “pattern of violations” at the operation and another Rhino mine was targeted by a rare MSHA lawsuit after agency staffers said they caught officials there providing advance notice of an MSHA inspection to workers underground.
In an interview Tuesday, Zatezalo decline to discuss those events at Rhino in any detail, saying “I won’t speak to it except to say that any problems that existed at Rhino were properly addressed.” ... The White House announced Zatezalo’s nomination on Saturday, putting his name last on an alphabetic list of several dozen administration appointments released during the three-day Labor Day weekend.
....
Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kward@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1702 or follow @kenwardjr on Twitter.
Ken Ward Jr. , Staff Writer September 6, 2017
The ranking Democrat on the House committee that oversees worker safety issues is calling for close scrutiny of {David Zatezalo,} President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
....
In 2010 and 2011, while Zatezalo was a top Rhino executive, the company had a series of run-ins with MSHA over safety and health conditions at mines in West Virginia and Kentucky, during a period when then-MSHA chief Joe Main was ramping up agency enforcement following the deaths of 29 miners at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in April 2010.
One of Rhino’s mines received back-to-back warning letters from MSHA about a “pattern of violations” at the operation and another Rhino mine was targeted by a rare MSHA lawsuit after agency staffers said they caught officials there providing advance notice of an MSHA inspection to workers underground.
In an interview Tuesday, Zatezalo decline to discuss those events at Rhino in any detail, saying “I won’t speak to it except to say that any problems that existed at Rhino were properly addressed.” ... The White House announced Zatezalo’s nomination on Saturday, putting his name last on an alphabetic list of several dozen administration appointments released during the three-day Labor Day weekend.
....
Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kward@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1702 or follow @kenwardjr on Twitter.
Trump Names Coal Executive to Head MSHA
