Governor Huntsman listens as Scot Matheson talks about the new Minning Safety Comission Thursday afternoon in the Governors Office. (Rick Egan/Salt Lake Tribune)
State probe
Huntsman lashes at the mine boss for being insensitive to the grieving relatives
by Glen Warchol
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. created a Utah Mine Safety Commission on Thursday, headed by former U.S. Attorney Scott Matheson Jr., to conduct its own investigation of the Crandall Canyon mine tragedy.
The announcement came a few hours after Huntsman publicly chastised the mine's co-owner, Robert Murray, for "unconscionable" behavior toward the six trapped miners' families.
Murray previously accused the governor, who had ordered inspections of Murray Energy's other Utah mines, of "playing politics" with the disaster that likely killed six miners, then killed three rescue workers.
The Mine Safety Commission will report back this fall on ways the state can ensure the safety of its miners. That might include expanding the state's role in mine safety inspections, Huntsman said. The state turned inspections and enforcement over to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration in 1977.
"We want to do everything we possibly can to ensure the state will be there when it comes to safety and support for our miners and their communities," Matheson said.
Huntsman acknowledged the state's probe will be one of many into the disaster.
The chairman of the U.S. Senate committee that oversees workplace safety Thursday called on the Labor Department to produce extensive documents relating to the Crandall Canyon mine.
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee has called in MSHA chief Richard Stickler for questioning and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who heads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has asked Labor Secretary Elaine Chao for documents related to safety at the Utah mine.
"What makes the [state mine safety] commission's work unique is that our task is to focus on the state's role - what the state can do to be as effective as it possibly can in securing the safety of our miners and mining communities," Matheson said.
Earlier Thursday at his monthly news conference on KUED-TV, Huntsman lashed out at Murray for what he called callous treatment of the mine victims' families leading up to his announcement that the men were likely dead and would have to be entombed in the mountain.
"There ought to be some modicum of respect for their human dignity and what [victims' families] are experiencing," Huntsman said.
Although he avoided using Murray's name, Huntsman made it clear his criticism was aimed at the outspoken chief executive of Murray Energy. "I'm not going to get into the mine owner other than to say I thought the way the families were treated was unconscionable and they deserved better."
Murray has said Huntsman's push for an independent state investigation of the tragedy was a political ploy.
"No one is playing politics with this situation," Huntsman responded. His appointment of Matheson, his Democratic opponent in the 2004 election, shows mine safety transcends politics, he said.
Huntsman said Utah Mine Safety Commission is similar to a panel appointed by West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin after the Sago Mine disaster in 2006 that killed 12.
Huntsman called Manchin within hours of the Crandall Mine collapse.
''He has offered to make available people and information and his list of things that worked and those that didn't,'' Huntsman said. "I will continue to consult with him."
Davitt McAteer, former director of MSHA who led Manchin's post-Sago review, said West Virginia's involvement has been fruitful.
"It's been a positive step," McAteer said. "In fact, I think there is a more aggressive effort to adopt standards related to telephones, communications and chambers - at least that."
Rep. Brad King, D-Price, said the commission will likely have to reach outside the state for mine safety expertise. "It's been 30 years since the state has been doing mine safety, there's probably few experts left."
One of the commission's members, Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, who is a mining consultant, said the safety record of Utah's coal mines has been good until the Crandall accident.
"I think we can mine coal safely," he said.
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* ROBERT GEHRKE and JUDY FAHYS contributed to this report.
Utah Mine Safety Commission
* DENNIS O'DELL, Safety and Health Director of the United Mine Workers of America
* HILARY GORDON, Huntington mayor
* JOE PICCOLO, Price mayor
* SEN. MIKE DMITRICH, D-Price
* REP. KAY MCIFF, R-Richfield
* DAVID LITVIN, Utah Mining Association
* JAKE GARN, former U.S. senator
9 comments:
Unlike some people in his party who like to point fingers, Gov. Huntsman is taking a pro-active approach and is forming a bi-partisan commission.
I may not always agree with Huntsman's policies, but the governor is doing the right thing here. I believe his empathy for the Crandall Mine families is genuine and sincere.
Huntsman's one mistake is putting a union rep on this commitee...unions have no place in this.
That's silly. Who is the union rep., and why shouldn't miners who happen to be union members be involved? They are probably more qualified to help in this matter
thats all we need is a union thug who will bully the committee..did the Sapranos ever sit on a committee about waste disposal, think about it.
Bob Murray is the only bully in this story. BTW, The Sapranos was a made up television show.
Silly brainwashed nazis.
Murray is an honest business man - like it or not, a majority of the mines and gas wells in Utah are owned by people like him who live far away - for example the largest owner of oil leases in the state of Utah lives in NJ - like or not we depend on these people for our economy, and while the governor may appoint this board - I doubt anything will be done that would even dare hurt out of state investment.
Murray is an asshole.
Murray is a grade A asshole.
Run the guy out on a rail.
For those of us who live across the country (WV), the coverage of the situation is very disappointing. When it was our guys here at Sago, that was all you heard about for the entirety of the recovery. I guess 3 weeks doesn't make for riveting television.
It's unfair to all parties involved for them to be judged based solely on what the 24-hour-news channels choose to show us. They pick & choose their sound bites for maximum ratings, not any desire to share the truth with anybody.
Anybody who has a valid suggestion to reach these miners needs to be given the opportunity to be heard.
What exactly do people expect Bob Murray to do? Hire a bunch of gophers to burrow down 2000 feet? People who piss & moan about what isn't being done need to either offer doable alternatives or shut the hell up.
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