Mine policing-Another fox guarding the hen house for Bush & Company

[kpete]

May 25, 2006
Mine policing

Another fox nominated

PRESIDENT Bush has nominated John R. Correll to run the U.S. Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation.

Correll has been deputy assistant secretary for operations at the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration since 2002. Before that, he was director of safety and workers’ compensation at Cleveland Cliffs Inc., which operates six iron-ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota and eastern Canada. He held health and safety positions with AMAX Coal Industries and was manager of safety and health for Peabody Coal Co.

With so much experience in “safety” jobs, one might expect Correll to be a good choice for a job that would require him to watch out for the people’s interest in how coal is mined.

But he’s not. In 1998, Correll testified to a House committee that there should be fewer mine safety inspections, and the government should emphasize incentives to companies for complying with regulations, rather than penalties for breaking them.

more at:
http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Editorials/200605244