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Utah Oil, Gas and Mining’s Responsibilities in Relation to Mine Safety
 | All of the 21 million tons of Utah’s coal production
comes from underground mines in Carbon, Emery and Sevier counties.
The federal Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) in the U.S. Department of Labor oversees coalmine worker
safety. http://www.msha.gov |
| Oil Gas and Mining is not charged by statute with
worker safety nor is it staffed or funded to conduct such work.
In Utah, that responsibility was once under the jurisdiction of the
Utah Industrial Commission, now the Labor Commission.
Since the late 1980s, mine worker safety has been solely a federal
responsibility of MSHA. |
| The Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is charged by Utah
statute with overseeing the environmental management of coal mining
operations, and with ensuring the public’s health and safety.
Utah regulates coal mining under an agreement between the Secretary
of the Interior and the Governor. Utah
statute embraces the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA).
In instances where public health and safety issues intersect with
miner safety, OGM interacts with the Mine Safety and Health Administration
and their dozen inspectors based in Utah’s coal mining region of Carbon,
Emery and Sevier Counties. |
| Utah’s public health and safety record is reported
to Congress each year. There
were zero off-site impacts to the public in 2004- 2005 reporting period and
two off-site impacts for 2005-2006. Utah
OGM has also reclaimed all known abandoned coal mine openings to safeguard
the recreating public. |
| The Governor has created the Utah Mine Safety Commission to evaluate mine
safety in Utah. You can visit their website at: http://minesafetycommission.utah.gov |
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For Division
Questions - Contact: Jim
Springer, PIO 801-538-5324
OR
Mary Ann Wright, Associate Director, Mining 801-538-5306.
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MSHA in Washington
Telephone:
(202) 693-9521 |
Fax Number:
(202) 693-9558
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Contact/E-Mail Address:
Terry Bentley Bentley.Terry@dol.gov
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Denver – District 9 Telephone:
(303) 231-5458
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Fax Number:
(303) 231-5553
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E-Mail Address:
Allyn Davis Davis.Allyn@dol.gov
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