Mining safe, official says

PARK CITY — Though tragic, situations such as those at the Crandall Canyon Mine or last year's deadly explosion at West Virginia's Sago Mine are not indicative of the mining industry as a whole, a top industry official said Thursday.

"The progress in mine safety seems always to be clouded by the latest event," said J. Brett Harvey, president and chief executive officer of CONSOL Energy, the largest underground coal mining company in the United States.

CONSOL owns the small Emery Mine in southeastern Utah, which employs about 200 people.

"The blows to our industry's reputation from high-profile incidents impact the safety regulatory environment in which we work every day," Harvey said during his keynote address at the Utah Mining Association's annual convention at The Canyons ski resort.

The two-day convention, which was dedicated to victims of the Crandall Canyon incident, opened with a prayer from Father Robert Bussen of Park City's St. Mary's of the Assumption church.

"We pray for miners everywhere," Father Bussen said. "Hold them close and keep them safe. Let their families be secure."

Bussen also asked God to care for the six men still trapped in the depths of the mountain, "whose fate is known to you alone."

The Crandall Canyon Mine collapsed in the early morning hours of Aug. 6, trapping six miners who were nearing the end of their 12-hour shift. On Aug. 16, underground seismic activity led to a second collapse that killed three rescue workers and injured six others.

All of the Crandall Canyon miners, UMA chairman Gerald Van Campen said, are "true American patriots."

The mining association has not been involved in the rescue effort, though officials have notified Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. that they would like to be involved in his newly formed Utah Mine Safety Commission, UMA president David Litvin said. The group will consider what the state's role should be in protecting coal miners.

As is typical in mine accidents, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration will also complete a thorough investigation that will guide upcoming rules and regulations in the industry in hopes of preventing future accidents.

"It's important to know what happened and why," Litvin said.

Van Campen agreed. "We will apply what is found from the Crandall Canyon Mine tragedy to ensure that Utah is a safer place to mine."