The Federal Mine Safety & Health Act of 1977 moved responsibility for mine safety away from states while Scott M. Matheson was Utah's governor.

Thirty years later, Scott Matheson Jr. is chairing a commission organized to advise the current governor whether the state should have more involvement in mine-safety issues.

The Utah Mine Safety Commission is scheduled to hold its first face-to-face meeting in Price this morning. The commission will not investigate the Crandall Canyon Mine tragedy, but it will use findings from that investigation to help develop policy recommendations Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. can use this fall to formulate proposals for the Legislature to consider in January.

Huntsman organized the commission and chose Matheson, his political opponent in the 2004 gubernatorial race, as its chairman. Other members of the volunteer commission include former U.S. Sen. Jake Garn; Huntington Mayor Hilary Gordon; Price Mayor Joe Piccolo; Rep. Kay McIff, R-Richfield; David Litvin of the Utah Mining Association; Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, D-Price; and Dennis O'Dell, administrator of occupational health and safety for the United Mine Workers of America.

"The governor's instincts are good," Matheson told the Deseret Morning News. "What he's really looking for is a group drawing upon local and national input, a group that looks at these issues with a different perspective."

The commission likely will conclude the mine safety inspection and reporting process is predominantly a federal responsibility.

"Having said that, it was, after all, the seismologist at the state's university that was monitoring this (Crandall Canyon) situation, and the state Labor Commission continues to certify miners. In terms of response and recovery, state and locals are very much involved in all of those things."

The commission will examine federal/state mine oversight models in other states as part of its work.

"There's actually some variety there in terms of what the various states do," Matheson said. "Some states have their own mine health and safety agencies for mining, including underground mining. We don't in Utah.

"Some states emphasize training in ways that are distinctive. One of the things I think is very important for our commission to do is to look at different states and look where best ideas and best practices would apply here, understanding that every state has unique circumstances and every mine has unique circumstances."

Whatever recommendations the commission makes will need to complement both federal and local government activity. "We're trying to establish good working relationships with all of them," Matheson said.

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