Dave Lauriski

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Dave D. Lauriski
Dave D. Lauriski

Dave D. Lauriski was the United States Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, the head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and he resigned in November 2004.

Before he joined government, Lauriski ran his own consulting firm in Price, Utah. He was previously General Manager of Energy West Mining Company, and earlier, Director of Health, Safety, Environmental and Government Affairs for Interwest Mining Company. On December 19, 1984 he was the safety officer on duty at the Emery Mining Company's Wilberg Mine in Price, Utah, when a fire caused the deaths of 27 miners, including the first woman miner in Utah to die in a mining accident. At the time of this mining disaster, Emery Mining Company was attempting to set a world record for the most coal production during a single day.

David Lauriski was noted for his withdrawal of numerous proposed regulations, attempts to tailor regulations on coal dust in such a way as to make the regulations consistent with the changes he lobbied for in his capacity as an employee of Energy West, and for his shifting MSHA's focus from enforcement to compliance assistance. His tenure at MSHA was also tainted by allegations concerning his handling of an investigation of a major slurry spill that did irreparable environmental damage.

Mr. Lauriski's tenure at MSHA was also marked by the number of high profile complaints of retaliation against employees for authorized "whistleblower" activities against his policies and actions that were detrimental to employee health and safety as well to environmental concerns.

Mr. Lauriski left his job soon after a Labor Department Inspector General report found that he had awarded questionable contracts to companies to which he had close ties, including service on boards of directors after he began working at MSHA, as well as sole-source contracts awarded to an MSHA contracting officer's husband.

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