Tag: Eugene White

Justice Makes Appointments to Miners' Health Safety Office

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has made three appointments to the state’s Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Justice said in a news release that he 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.”

Fewer West Virginia Coal Miners Fail Drug Tests in 2015

Officials say fewer West Virginia coal miners failed drug tests last year.

Eugene White, director of the West Virginia Mine Safety Office, tells the Times West Virginian that around 290 miners failed drug tests in 2015. That’s down from 310 workers in 2013 and 314 workers in 2014.

White said the number of test failures is likely down because fewer miners are working. The decline of the coal industry has forced mines to shut down and lay off workers. But White said coal companies are also taking steps to fight substance abuse among their employees.

West Virginia law requires coal mines to test at least 25 percent of their workers. Workers who fail a test are immediately suspended, pending a hearing with the board of appeals.

Official: Hundreds of Miners Tested Positive for Drug Use in Past Two Years

Lawmakers received the latest numbers Monday on miners who have tested positive for drugs under a fairly new state law.

The law went to effect on January 1, 2013, that, among many other provisions, required coal mining operators and certain employers to implement a substance abuse screening program for miners and mine safety professionals.

The law also requires the results of those screenings to be reported to the Director of the state Office of Miner’s Health, Safety and Training.

Eugene White, the director of that office, reported to date, 555 individuals have had their mining certifications temporarily suspended because of a failed drug test.

Seventy-nine of those have been reinstated through the appeals process and 69 individuals are seeking treatment. Two-hundred and sixty-nine will wait the three year period to have their certifications returned.

White said prescription drugs are the most common found in the screening process, followed by marijuana. 

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