Governor calls for new regulation in Utah mining

The governor of Utah will hear testimony from the commission formed after last months Crandall Mine Disaster. He is calling for state regulation of mining in Utah. Since SMCRA passed in 1977, the state has relied on federal inspectors to regulate its mining operations. Several coal-mining states in Appalachia, including West Virginia and Kentucky, have continued their own mining regulation program from the start relying on the feds only for oversight. I am not at all surprised to hear this sentiment in Utah, since major disasters usually spur cries for safety improvements and/or new laws. Why is it that someone (in this case 9 someones) has to die before people call for change? I hope they do begin to regulate the mining operations. Someone has to oversee the federal government. For full article see: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/us/25mine.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin