WASHINGTON — Acting Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett today praised President Bush's intention to nominate John R. Correll as director of the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation. The announcement is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, once the official nomination is made by the President.

With more than 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Correll has served since 2002 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations in the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

"John brings to the job not only significant organizational and operations management experience, but also a substantive record focused on safety and health in both the public and private sectors," Acting Secretary Scarlett said.

As Deputy Assistant Secretary at Labor, Correll has been responsible for management of all aspects of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The agency provides oversight of mining locations throughout the country.

Before joining the government as a career employee at the Labor Department, Correll had served from 1991 to 2002 as Director of Safety and Workers' Compensation for Cleveland Cliffs Inc., an international mining and milling company. From 1980-1991, he held executive health and safety positions with AMAX Coal Industries. Earlier in his career, Correll served as a Division Manager of Safety and Health for Peabody Coal Company.

He is a Vietnam veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy.

He received a B.S. in safety and environmental management from Indiana State University and an MBA from the University of Indianapolis.

Correll is certified as a Mine Safety Professional by the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals and as a Certified Safety Executive from the World Safety Organization. He is also certified as a professional miner with the Holmes Safety Association.

He served as chairman of the Executive Board of the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals from 1998 to 2001.

Correll, a native of Indiana, resides in Northern Virginia with his wife Nancy. They have two grown children.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement was established in 1977 to carry out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in cooperation with States and Indian Tribes. The OSM's primary objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use following mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines.