Federal mine safety official warned the Trump administration is putting miners in danger, violating

Source: nbc



Federal mine safety official warned the Trump administration is putting miners in danger, violating law


Robert Cohen, an Obama appointee whose term expired last month on the mine safety and health panel, blasted the administration for going easy on violators.

by Suzy Khimm / Sep.17.2018 / 2:53 PM ET


WASHINGTON — Two days before his term ended, a member of the independent federal commission overseeing mine safety accused the Trump administration of an "unlawful" action that he warned could endanger the "lives of the nation's miners."

Robert F. Cohen, whose term expired last month on the mine safety and health panel, alleged in a scathing dissent that Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta had undertaken an illegal move cutting back on a worker safety rule that threatens to undermine the "most powerful tool for protecting the lives of the nation's miners."

Cohen's criticism was in response to the Trump administration easing enforcement of a key worker safety rule against a West Virginia coal mine, despite finding "significant and substantial" violations at the facility.


The Department of Labor determined that Pocahontas Coal Company’s Affinity Mine would no longer be subject to tough enforcement actions taken against mines that repeatedly violate mine health and safety laws and receive a "pattern of violations" notice.

Cohen blasted the administration for a "corrupted reading" of the law. "As an independent agency charged with reviewing enforcement actions brought by the Secretary, this Commission should not assent to such an illegal act," wrote Cohen, whose term on the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission ended on Aug. 30.............................................

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/mine-safety-official-warned-administration-violating-law-putting-miners-danger-n910306