Editor's Note: The headline on this story has been changed to better reflect the nature of this story.聽
Federal office closures initiated by Elon Musk性视界传媒檚 Department of Government Efficiency are beginning to materialize in Longview.
A federal lease for the Mine Safety and Health Administration field office in Longview was terminated, according to the DOGE database of recent budget cuts.
The Mine Safety and Health Administration is a sub-agency of the Department of Labor and was established in 1977 to improve workplace safety, preparedness and accountability in the mining industry.
According to the administration性视界传媒檚 website, the field office is at 3000 Gilmer Rd. DOGE states that the closure of the 2,400 square-foot office will save taxpayers $63,059 a year.
The Longview field office was one among more than 30 leases for federal mine safety offices axed by DOGE since its creation Jan. 20.
While the United Mine Workers of America, a national trade union representing miners, said 性视界传媒渃losing MSHA offices could be a recipe for disaster性视界传媒 in a March press release, there are few mines left in East Texas where a disaster could occur.
In the space of a decade, East Texas性视界传媒 once prolific lignite coal industry has all but disappeared as electrical utilities transition to cheaper and less polluting forms of energy, including solar and natural gas, the News-Journal reported last year.
DOGE also canceled a lease in Longview for what appeared to be a single-room office serving the Department of Labor性视界传媒檚 Wage and Hour division, though DOGE listed the U.S. Employment Standards Administration, which has not existed since 2009.
The ESA was a sub-agency of the Department of Labor and enforced minimum wage laws, child labor prohibitions and other employee rights laws.
Musk性视界传媒檚 quasi-governmental department has struggled with accurately reporting the names and dollar totals for cuts purported to save taxpayer money, as The New York Times .
DOGE advertised $5,000 in annual savings for the cancellation of the lease.
The News-Journal attempted to fact check lease details with the U.S. General Services Administration, which manages federal office leasing. The GSA did not immediately respond to the fact-checking inquiry, but an agency spokesperson did provide a statement explaining the thinking behind lease cancellations.
性视界传媒淎cting Administrator [Stephen] Ehikian性视界传媒檚 vision for GSA includes reducing our deferred maintenance liabilities, supporting the return to office of federal employees, and taking advantage of a stronger private/government partnership in managing the workforce of the future,性视界传媒 the GSA spokesperson said.
性视界传媒淕SA is reviewing all options to optimize our footprint and building utilization,性视界传媒 the spokesperson continued. 性视界传媒淎 component of our space consolidation plan will be the termination of many soft term leases. To the extent these terminations affect public facing facilities and/or existing tenants, we are working with our agency partners to secure suitable alternative space.性视界传媒
Musk, the world's richest man, has become known for his role in the Trump administration as the leader of DOGE. He has likened his work to taking a "chainsaw" to bureaucracy.聽
