WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s nominee for assistant U.S. secretary of labor for the Mine Safety and Health Administration will not get a vote for confirmation from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
David Zatezalo is from Wheeling and formerly worked as a coal mine executive.
“While I appreciate Mr. Zatezalo’s willingness to serve, I cannot support his confirmation to lead MSHA,” Manchin said in a statement released Wednesday.
“After reviewing his qualifications and record of safety during his time in the coal industry, I am not convinced that Mr. Zatezalo is suited to oversee the federal agency that implements and enforces mine safety laws and standards.”
Zatezalo is the former president and CEO of Rhino Resources.
His nomination is subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.
“In West Virginia we are painfully familiar with the human toll that accompanies a mine accident. I have comforted too many families who have lost loved ones serving our nation in the mines,” Manchin said.
He cited the deaths of 12 miners, six of them in West Virginia, since the start of 2017.
“Strong leadership at the Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) is non-negotiable,” Manchin said.