The OSC recently had said the Labor Department had confirmed their disclosures after the OSC had referred them there for investigation, although at the time it did not name the employees publicly. Image: King Ropes Access/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffTwo Mine Safety and Health Administration whistleblowers who disclosed that the agency had failed to inspect 51 active mines in the Pacific Territories of Guam, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have been recognized by the OSC with its 2025 Outstanding Public Servant Award.
Patrick Barney, an assistant district manager, and Troy Van Wey, a supervisory special investigator disclosed that those mines had not been inspected since at least 2016 and were not scheduled for inspection until at least 2017, and that the agency had incorrectly classified the mines as abandoned and inaccurately reported to Congress 100 percent inspection completion rates since at least 2023, the OSC said.
“We applaud their bravery in alerting Congress and the public and helping ensure needed change is brought to MSHA while encouraging other whistleblowers to report government wrongdoing,” it said.
The OSC recently had said the Labor Department had confirmed their disclosures after the OSC had referred them there for investigation, although at the time it did not name the employees publicly. The OSC also encouraged the department to reward them under an authority that allows for awards of up to $10,000.
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