Federal mine safety official's credentials questioned

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - The families of the Crandall Canyon miner's aren't the only ones raising questions about the handling of the rescue effort.

Many news organizations and blogs are also now asking questions about the governments role and the man chosen to lead the rescue effort, Mine and Health Safety Administrator, Richard Stickler.

Sunday, the questions that had been whispered about for days, the miner's families themselves finally made public.

Sonny Olsen, families spokesperson said, "We are at the mercy of the officials in charge and their so-called experts."

Increasing attention is now being paid to Stickler, the federal government's main mine man.

Stickler used to be a mining executive who - according to various media reports - ran mines which had several fatalities and "...an incident rate that was often twice the national average."

Stickler's rocky road to appointment

"Others were irate that [mine owner Bob] Murray was allowed to publicly predict success and contradict MSHA itself while agency officials quietly looked on." -ABC News

Also coming to light, is the fact that Stickler's nomination to head the mine administration was twice rejected by congress and rejected when republicans were still in charge.

Rejected reportedly by senators who were concerned about Stickler's safety record when he operated mines. After his nomination was twice rejected by the Senate, President Bush gave Richard Stickler the mine safety job with a recess appointment.

That's a presidential appointment made when congress is not in session.

Finally, congressional investigations and hearings are now expected to look at a key provision of federal mining law, one which requires the U.S. Government to be the main communicator when an accident occurs.

ABC News now notes it took the mine safety administration two days to take public control of the Crandall Canyon Mine.

ABC also adds, "Others were irate that [mine owner Bob] Murray was allowed to publicly predict success and contradict MSHA itself while agency officials quietly looked on."

And even though Richard Stickler does have considerable mining experience, he is now acquiring a new not-so-favorable nickname.

Among many bloggers, he is now being referred to as the "new Brownie."

That in reference to Michael Brown who headed FEMA during Hurricane Katrina.