If they haven’t already, the Utah Mining Association (UMA) should put the agenda for their annual meeting in Park City next weekend in the shredder and start working on a new one.
The advertised theme for this year’s meeting, Aug. 23-24, was to be “Mining’s New Horizon,” with workshops slated on Emerging Clean Coal Technologies, Uranium’s Renaissance and Strategies for Attracting New Miners.
But that was before the tragedy in Huntington on Aug. 6 when six coal miners were trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine, and before three rescuers were killed Thursday in the grueling, heroic attempt to rescue them.
It is doubtful, in light of the devastating losses the Utah mining community has suffered over the last three weeks, that members of the UMA will feel much like celebrating the industry’s bright future any time soon. Instead, the convention could allow mining leaders a chance to grieve together and then to launch a whole new raft of safety initiatives and standards.
On Friday, while Huntington residents were still reeling from Thursday’s second mine collapse, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., promised the families of those who were killed or injured their losses will be a catalyst to find ‘stronger, safer and smarter’ ways to continue mining.
In light of the devastating events in Huntington, the Utah Mining Association may, unintentionally, be poised to lead the way in creating a new era in mining, one that offers miners a new era of health and safety.
Here, in a town originally built by hardworking, courageous miners who knew both the thrill and the heartbreak of working underground, would be a great place to begin that journey.