Mine safety nomination follows history as coal executive
Zatezalo had told the
"Our first priority is preventing people from getting hurt and improving the compliance regime across the board," he said at his confirmation hearing. His nomination goes next to a floor vote, which hasn't been scheduled yet. A similar partisan split would confirm him.
Zatezalo told the senators he wouldn't reopen the investigation sought by ex-Massey Energy CEO
Questioned about the repeated safety violations cited by MSHA and the 2011 death at one of Rhino's
At 6,000-pound (2,700-kilogram) piece of an underground rib pillar fell on 33-year-old crew chief
"The operator's attempts to support the ribs with timbers and/or 42-inch conventional bolts were inadequate, as evidenced by loose, broken and hanging ribs, and broken supports at numerous locations," the investigators wrote.
Sen.
But before the committee vote, ranking Democratic Sen.
At the confirmation hearing, she cited his company's safety violations and noted that he had been sued for allowing "unchecked" workplace discrimination and then punishing the employee who was the target. "That's really troubling to me and I fear another example of a fox to guard the hen house," she said.
Even before that, Manchin said West Virginians are "painfully familiar" with the human toll from mine accidents. He said Zatezalo wouldn't provide the strong leadership needed at MSHA.
"It ultimately comes down to if he is confirmed, how we see his behavior and his attitude after he's confirmed there at the agency," she said.
In his testimony, Zatezalo said he would support Trump's agenda for the health and safety of American miners. In his career, he said he managed and operated 39 different mines. The
Zatezalo said the number of federal inspectors is "pretty good today," and that the data show them making the four annual mine inspections required by law.
"We certainly don't want to let that fall down, just as I wouldn't want to drive on the highways without police ... to take control of speeders and drunk drivers. Inspections in mines in
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