But the mostly partisan vote fell far short of what Democrats would need to override a threatened veto from the Bush administration.
Sixteen relatives of the Crandall Canyon victims sent a letter to Congress in support of the bill, known as the S-MINER Act. And they promised Wednesday to keep pressuring Washington to make the safety changes.
"The families feel strongly about this and other measures to protect miners' safety," said Ed Havas, an attorney representing the families.
Six miners were entombed in Crandall Canyon after an implosion at the Huntington, Utah, site. Three rescue workers died in another cave-in.
Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson represents that area and co-sponsored the bill. Utah's other two House members, GOP Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, voted against the proposal.
Like most Republicans, they said the legislation impedes progress made with the 2006 mine-safety bill, called the MINER Act, which passed overwhelmingly.
"The ink had barely dried on the MINER Act when the majority felt the need to further micromanage America's energy industry," Cannon said.
The bill split Republicans, who said it would cost jobs, and Democrats, who said it would save lives. Unions supported the bill, while mine owners and regulators called it "premature," in part because of the ongoing federal investigation into Crandall Canyon.
None of Utah's House members spoke during the hourlong debate loaded with references to Crandall Canyon, the miners who died there and the families they left behind. Utah's delegation didn't focus on the Utah disaster in explaining their positions, instead zeroing in on "belt air," a type of ventilation used in many of Utah's deep coal mines. The bill restricts the use of this method in new mines but grandfathers in existing ones. Matheson fought to avoid a total belt-air ban, but Bishop and Cannon still criticize this provision. So does the Utah Mining Association, which opposes the bill generally.
For his part, Havas said he appreciated Matheson's work on behalf of Utah miners, and he called the votes by Bishop and Cannon "disappointing." Bishop said the provisions directly related to Crandall Canyon "seemed like a good idea," though the bill would "undermine ongoing safety efforts."
mcanham@sltrib.com
* Establish a clear line of communication between those managing the rescue attempts and the families. Relatives of the Crandall Canyon victims became upset at their interactions with mine owner Robert Murray, who claimed an earthquake caused the tunnel collapse. Seismologists disagree.
* Create an ombudsman to collect safety concerns from miners and their relatives without fearing retribution. In the case of a fatal accident killing more than one miner, the bill would call for an independent investigation to ensure federal regulators acted appropriately.
