Panel Named to Investigate Mine Agency

[struggle4progress]

By SARAH ABRUZZESE
Published: September 1, 2007

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 — The Labor Department has announced the creation of an independent commission to investigate the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s handling of the disaster at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah ...

While Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao underscored that the review announced by her department would be independent, the United Mine Workers of America disputed that characterization.

“We’ve said all along that it’s a problem for MSHA to investigate MSHA,” Cecil Roberts, the union’s president, said in a statement. “It’s not clear to me how much difference it will be for former MSHA employees to be investigating MSHA.”

Ernest C. Teaster Jr., appointed along with Joseph W. Pavlovich to lead the investigation, said it would take about six months. The Labor Department said the inquiry would include a review of mine records and interviews with employees of the mine agency, known by its acronym, pronounced EM-shah ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/01/us/01mine.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

[Stargazer99]

1. Anything to remotely due to Elaine Cho

is a farce.

[NMDemDist2]

2. K&N n/t