Ex-mine official to lead probe of W.Va. blast

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LAWRENCE MESSINA and TIM HUBER

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Gov. Joe Manchin on Tuesday asked a former top federal mine safety official to conduct an independent investigation of an explosion that killed 29 West Virginia miners, and also called for more scrutiny of mines with a history of safety violations.

Manchin told The Associated Press that J. Davitt McAteer, who headed the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration during the Clinton administration, will probe the explosion and serve as his special adviser on issues involving the blast at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch mine.

McAteer's probe will be independent of separate investigations being done by state and federal officials.

"I want a transparent third party, that's not attached in any way, shape or form," Manchin said.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20100413/D9F2CGR00.html

[howaboutme]

1. USA needs a major pendulum reversal

The USA needs to reverse the pro-corporate, pro-big money, pro cheap labor, and anti (private sector) union movement that has permeated the country since the Reagan era. The corporate control of our government has decimated the job market for Americans and the availability of good paying jobs by allowing unlimited immigration (visa, illegal, etc) and unlimited outsourcing. We need 30 years of reversal.

The mining industry and safety has been squeezed while only the miners and their families pay....similar to the Iraq War where only the military and their families feel the pain. What we need are to get the Wall Street bankers who abstractly discuss Massey Energy working in the mines and wearing uniforms in the military so that they are intimately involved in it too, and not have the elite believe that these people who do a real and necessary job (unlike Wall St) are just disposable Americans.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. why not change laws so Mine owner can't buy up govt in WVA?

We know what happened to cause the explosion.

And we know how it got that far.

And we know that the mine owner could care less about the miners.

[Petrushka]

3. "...change laws so Mine owner can't buy up govt in WVA?" ?? And . . .

forget about what's happening at the federal level as soon as the media packs up and finds something else to entertain the nation for a few days. Here's a link to an eye-opening "how to" video re: profit from the death of coal miners ---> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x454896

[Petrushka]

4. If someone was never a "mine official", how can he be an "ex-mine official" now?

Re: J. DAvitt McAteer's credentials --->

http://alumni.wvu.edu/awards/academy/j_mcateer

[WVRICK13]

5. I Get What Is Really Happening

You get a non-government official to give a report and use it to fight the government reports. After all, the penalty for bribing a consultant is much lower than a government employee. Old Joe kisses Blankenship's ass again.