On Monday, three weeks will have passed since six miners were trapped in Crandall Canyon Mine near Huntington,
Since that collapse, three other men have died in a rescue attempt. Six others were injured. The second collapse halted the underground search for the miners but the mine co-owner Bob Murray and federal Mining Safety and Health Administration officials have continued drilling holes nearly 2,000 feet into the mine to locate the miners or assess air quality. Drilling of a sixth hole is under way and, according to news reports at press time, the miners' families intend to seek legal action to prevent the mine from being sealed.
No one can begrudge the families for their desire to rescue or recover their loved ones. They say Murray needs to keep his promises to recover the miners. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has rallied to their defense.
But over the course of this ordeal, Huntsman's actions and words are somewhat confusing. Following the second "bump" that killed three rescuers and injured six others, Huntsman emphatically said the rescue effort had gone from a tragedy to a catastrophe. "Let us ensure that we have no more injuries," he said. "We have suffered enough as a state."
In recent days, however, Huntsman has insisted that more could be done to rescue the miners — that "new technologies and methodologies need to be considered to safely reach closure for these families." Mining experts brought in by the Mine Safety and Health Administration have concluded that the area of initial mine collapse "remains in a state that is structurally unstable," meaning underground efforts to recover the miners would be too dangerous. Seemingly, these experts would have already briefed MSHA on any above-ground operations, such as capsules that have been lowed into shallow Eastern mines to rescue trapped miners. That may not even be possible in Emery County given the shifting ground, the geological conditions and the depths the capsule would have to plummet into the mine.
The governor has also empaneled a Utah Mine Safety Commission, which will consider, among other things, if the state should get into the business of regulating mine safety.
Even before the commission has launched its work, Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, said he does not believe the state needs to add to existing federal regulations. Dmitrich will serve on the commission.
Sen. Orrin Hatch has also cautioned against politicizing the ordeal. An MSHA investigation will be conducted at the mine. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has announced his own investigation. A House committee also plans to look into the accident.
Since mining regulation has been the exclusive purview of the federal government for decades, it is unclear what Huntsman believes could be achieved by a second tier of of regulation.
It's understandable that Huntsman wants to aid and comfort the miners' families. But he needs to exercise care that he does not fill these families with unrealistic expectations. They have suffered enough.