Main Criticized On Capitol Hill

{Washington, D.C.}...During a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce grilled federal Mine Safety and Health Administration chief Joe Main on the internal problems at his agency identified by an internal review in connection with the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine. Republicans repeatedly cited an internal review that found MSHA could have done more to prevent the disaster that killed 29 men. Main said during testimony that Massey caused the disaster, and problems,  including retirements of experienced mine inspectors and a lack of experienced inspectors and specialists to replace them, hampered his agency in the months and years leading up to the explosion. Main said, since UBB, he has ordered a complete retooling of the agency's policy manual and is working to create a system, which all inspectors follow, and while MSHA has changed and is changing, he still needs protection for whistleblowers, subpoena power for investigations and stiffer criminal penalties for bad operators. U.S. Representative Nick Rahall and other House Democrats say it's time for Congress to pass stalled legislation that would give MSHA more power to prevent mine disasters. Rahall argues Congress shouldn't punish MSHA by withholding lifesaving legal powers because only miners would suffer.