Catholic university official to advise governor in mine tragedy probe

Published: 2006-01-30

WHEELING, W.Va. (CNS) -- A Wheeling Jesuit University official who is a former assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration will be a special adviser to Gov. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on the state and federal investigations of the Sago Coal Mine tragedy. J. Davitt McAteer, vice president for sponsored programs at the university, said he will work with state and federal agencies as they conduct their investigation of the causes of the accident and the rescue and recovery operations at the coal mine, which is in Upshur County. He also will help develop a report providing an overview of findings from the state and federal investigations. McAteer will also provide recommendations for the improvement of mine safety and communications in West Virginia, which will also be included in the report set to be released July 1. "My job," McAteer said, "is to step back from this and say, 'What is the overall impact here and what do we need to do to change it so that we can prevent this thing from occurring and how do we need to change the system?'"

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