Petition aims to keep mining alive in Utah

PRICE — Karen Basso first went to offices of coal mines in Carbon and Emery counties and spoke with miners.

Then she went door to door along streets in the counties, went into grocery stores and other businesses, asking people to sign her petition.

About 98 percent did sign, and she collected 1,028 names in two weeks, she told the Carbon County Commission on Wednesday. The petition's central message is: "In order to keep our communities alive and thriving, we must persuade our government not to close the (mine) portals forever, for without our mines there will be no Carbon and Emery counties, nor will there be electricity and other comforts for the world to enjoy."

On Wednesday afternoon, the Price resident presented the petitions to the Carbon County Commission during its semimonthly meeting. The names made up a significant proportion of the adults in the two counties, who numbered fewer than 25,000 in the 2000 Census.

"We're just basically saying we don't want our mines closed," she told the commissioners.

If unrealistic laws are passed, mining communities will suffer, she said.

After the meeting, she said a rumor is circulating that new rules could be imposed as a result of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster to forbid mining more than a certain depth underground. Many mines here are deep — miners killed outright or trapped by the Aug. 6 accident were working 1,900 feet below the surface — and some residents fear that such restrictions would kill mining here.

Her husband, Sonny, was among more than 170 miners who were laid off in Murray Energy Corp. mines following the Aug. 6 disaster and a later mine "bump" that claimed the lives of three rescuers and wounded six others. Sonny Basso worked in the Tower Division mine, about seven miles north of here.

Karen Basso believes he will be back to work in about a month, after matters are sorted out.

The mine is owned by Murray Energy's UtahAmerican Energy, which acquired it in August 2006 from ANDALEX Resources. At the same time, the company acquired the Crandall Canyon Mine and other resources.

According to Karen Basso, her husband had much more intensive training after Murray took over. She said he learned many things he had not known before about the industry, and that he underwent regular training sessions.