Mine operators get warning about nonpayment of safety fines
Mine operators with safety violations have failed to pay millions of dollars they owe in penalties – a state of affairs David G. Zatezalo calls “unacceptable.” In a recent op-ed piece in The Intelligencer. Wheeling News-Register, Zatezalo said uncollected fines combined with continued violations “show disregard for the law and our nation’s miners.”
Zatezalo expressed frustration with the poor results of the Scofflaw Program, which was launched by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in 2007 for the express purpose of going after unpaid fines – but has allowed $67 million in delinquent penalties to accrue since its inception.