Voices From Coal Country Say Closures Of Msha Offices Will Endanger Mine Safety

Retired coal miner Stanley "Goose" Stewart questions whether it's safe for anyone to work in the industry right now.

The Department of Government Efficiency, created by President Donald Trump and run by Elon Musk, has been targeting federal agencies for spending cuts. That includes terminating leases for three dozen offices in the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the agency responsible for enforcing mine safety laws .

The proposals for MSHA are "idiotic," Stewart said, and would give coal companies "the green light to do as they please."

Safety laws and their enforcement played a significant role before and after the Upper Big Branch mine in southern West Virginia blew up 15 years ago Saturday, killing 29 of Stewart's co-workers.

Stewart was there that day but soon stepped away for good, focusing on his love for hunting, fishing and tending to his chickens and his garden when the weather warms.