Mine Safety Analyst Indicted for Falsifying Reports

A former mine safety analyst in Kentucky has been indicted on dozens of charges of falsifying reports.  News of the charges comes on the heels of recent scrutiny into the practice of federal mine safety regulators and coal mine workers during inspections.Kentucky’s Attorney General Jack Conway has announced the initial findings of a criminal investigation into a former Kentucky mine safety analyst from Perry County.  Betty Sue Whitaker from Hazard has been indicted on 28-counts of falsifying reports about several mines, many of which are in Perry County.  According to the deputy clerk with Franklin County Circuit Court, details about Whitaker’s actions are not yet available.  But a mine safety analyst is responsible for preventing mine accidents by observing work habits and advising workers on how to create safer conditions.  The Attorney General’s Office of Special Prosecutors is taking the case.  Whitaker is expected to be arraigned in early August.