Governor Makes Appointments to Mining Safety Board

Gov. Jim Justice has made three appointments to the state’s Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. The Gazette-Mail reports that the governor appointed Eugene White to replace the retiring Greg Norman as the office’s director. Justice also named Johnny Kinder, who has worked for the office since 2002, and Frank Foster, who was a safety coordinator for Massey Coal Services during the Aracoma Coal Co. fire in 2006, as deputy directors. The United Mine Workers said Justice passed up an opportunity to hire Carl Egnor. He sits on the state Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety. The union added that the office’s operators have been “taking away all its enforcement powers and firing all its inspectors.”