J. Davitt McAteer is an American lawyer , author , and activist from Fairmont , West Virginia . McAteer was appointed to the position of assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1993 to 2000 under President Bill Clinton . Throughout his career , McAteer has been an advocate for safe working conditions for miners , particularly in the coal industry . After the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster of 2010 , where an explosion caused by negligence led to the death of 29 miners , McAteer Served on Governor Earl Ray Tomblin 's independent investigation panel to determine the cause of the explosion . McAteer is the author of " Monongah : The Tragic Story of the 1907 Monongah Mine Disaster "
Upper Big Branch Mine disaster
Upper Big Branch Mine disaster
Davitt McAteer