And it won't for quite some time, not until the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reveals results of its secretive investigation of the mine wall collapses that killed nine miners and injured six. Still, Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. has to put together his 2008-09 budget proposal by December and asked the commission Tuesday to submit an interim report soon containing recommended mine-safety measures with budget implications.
"We must get recommendations from you in the next month before the budget is handed over [to the Legislature] in December," Huntsman said.
Commission suggestions likely will revolve around education and training of miners. The commission has heard repeatedly that more training is needed as the coal industry faces the impending retirement of a generation of miners.
The College of Eastern Utah in Price and the Western Energy Training Center, a joint effort of academia and the energy industry, are preparing proposals for enhanced training programs at the training center in Price Canyon.
Commission member Mike Dmitrich, a state senator from Price, also suggested the Utah Labor Commission could use extra funding to test new miners to ensure they understand the training they receive. More financial assistance also is needed to certify miners seeking to replace retirees as foremen or technical specialists, such as engineers and mechanics, he added.
Additional funding also could be requested to help the University of Utah mining department attract and educate more engineers and to enable CEU to revive a two-year associate degree in mining.
Huntsman told the commission Tuesday he would like some clarity on the specific roles MSHA, the state and mine owners have in a disaster. "Should we assume a more active role as a state . . . or do we have it about right. I just don't have a feel for that," the governor said, adding he felt the interaction at Crandall Canyon involved "too much ad hocery."
The request sparked an agitated response from former U.S. Sen. Jake Garn. "I will not stop talking about the lack of collaboration with the feds," he said, adding he was "offended" that MSHA will not share investigation information with commission members willing to keep all information confidential. "I'm going to keep harping on this until they are willing to talk and share with us."
Responded Huntsman: "No one better than you, senator, to be harping on this particular issue."
Garn said he wishes he was back on the Senate appropriations committee so he could slash MSHA's budget until it cooperated. To which the governor responded: "We long for the old days, senator."
Commission chairman Scott Matheson said MSHA's "ice has been thawing," noting that agency director Richard Stickler and Richard Gates, head of the investigation team, are scheduled to address the commission next Tuesday.
mikeg@sltrib.com
