Rob Bishop: “Today I rise to join both of my colleagues from Utah, as well as, apparently, the chairman of the Natural Resources…”

“Today I rise to join both of my colleagues from Utah, as well as, apparently, the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee in expressing our profound sympathies for the Utah families who lost their loved ones at the Crandall Canyon mine. I'm not a miner, but I have been told that unless one has been a miner, it's impossible to understand the profession, the mindset and the courage that is displayed by those who work daily under dangerous conditions so that the rest of us can live in an element of comfort. Today, this body honors six competent, courageous men who labored to provide a better future for their families and all of us. On August 6, the Crandall Canyon mine experienced a shift in the Earth that registered a 4 on the Richter scale at the nearby University of Utah. This left almost 2,000 feet of debris between the working area of the mine and the last known location of these miners. Kerry Allred, Don Erickson, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Brandon Phillips and Manuel Sanchez were lost in this catastrophe. In addition, three very courageous heroes sacrificed their lives to rescue their fellow miners. Only miners fully understand this commitment to those they consider brothers. Dale Black, Brandon Kimber, Gary Jensen, miners and a mine safety official lost their lives during this rescue effort. We cannot also forget the five other miners and the Mine Safety and Health Administration officials who were injured in this effort.”