By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Federal mine regulators didn’t complete more than 1,500 mandatory mine safety and health inspections over a three-year period, according to a new audit report, a finding that has significant implications in coal-heavy West Virginia.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration did not complete or accurately report an estimated 1,589 mandatory mine inspections during fiscal years 2018 through 2021, despite reporting a nearly 100% completion rate, according to the report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The Office of Inspector General, which performs audits to review Department of Labor programs, said MSHA, a Department of Labor subagency, had not effectively improved the design or execution of its internal operations since a 2011 audit found similar issues with the mandatory inspections program.
The failure resulted in missed chances to protect miners by identifying hazards and requiring corrections, the inspector general office concluded.
