Coal mine taken off watch list

HELPER (AP) — Federal regulators have taken a Utah coal mine off a special watch list.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration had the Horizon Mine near Helper under intense scrutiny for much of this year because of a past record of safety violations.

Two years ago the mine's safety violations were twice the national average.

American West Resources Inc. protested that it was being punished for the misdeeds of a previous operator.

Rather than risk a shutdown, it retreated from a section of the mine plagued by roof falls.

In doing so, the new operator sacrificed 300,000 tons of high-quality coal.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show MSHA withdrew its shutdown threat earlier this summer.

Mine Manager Joe Fielder says he hasn't had a lost-time injury in a year and a half.