America, Is This the Kind of Regulation That You Want?

Buckingham Slate, a Virginia business that dates back to the Civil War, was recently fined by federal regulators with a $4,000 fine over a trash can “lid.”  Yes, that is correct.  According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration's official citation, “the offending can, or more correctly a waste receptacle in the words of the official citation, was not covered.  What's more, the receptacle was full.  It could be smelled. There were flies in and around the receptacle.  And, to crown all, management engaged in aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence by allowing this "condition to exist."  Therefore, my "tip-of-the-week," don't forget to put the lid on your trash can, because the Mine Safety and Health Administration has just been spotted in your neighborhood.