Unraveling Institutional Authority and Liability

The complexities of institutional authority at Southmountain created a sec-t)nd source of uncertainty that unraveled as the investigation progressed. On paper, Ridley Elkins served as an engineering consultant to the mines, but MSHA ultimately determined that Elkins was more intimately involved in 

Ridley Elkins said that you were in charge for the company.  

he said I was in charge at that time for the company. 

Do you know why he would put you in charge when the superintendent was there and you hadn t been there in seven months  

1 guess because of my past experience with MSHA. I have worked three or four of these mine explosions, ignitions. 1 was on the rescue team at Clinchfield back years ago when I was a lot younger, before, with MSHA. And 1 guess because of my experience. 

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