On Wednesday, Oct. 30, the Utah Division of Oil Gas and Mining held a community meeting to speak on plans to address the Kenilworth Mine Fire and hear public concern regarding the blaze. Speaking first in the meeting was Steve Luke, the program manager for the abandoned mine reclamation program.

Luke first explained how this was being treated as an emergency by the UDOGM,” we don’t know a lot about this fire. But I just wanted to let you know that we have a whole team and we’ve called it an emergency.” He explained that because this is being treated as an emergency, the organization bypassed a lot of red tape and paperwork to start working sooner, ideally before snow begins to fall.

The biggest struggle of a fire suppression operation at the mine is the lack of accessible roads, which Luke explained meant that they would have to fly in via helicopter to access the mine’s opening. The plan from here would be to spray high-expansion foam into the opening in an attempt to suppress the fire. Luke explained that this would only be a temporary abatement as the UDOGM worked toward a permanent solution.

Luke then introduced Dave Hibbard the geohazards section leader for Brierley Associates, the company contracted by UDOGM to work on the fire. Hibbard explained that the biggest concern with the blaze currently was air quality, hence why it was being treated as an emergency. He also discussed the process of mapping the fire, which they do in an attempt to understand how far the fire has spread within the mine.

With the basics now explained, the meeting was then opened to public comments. The biggest concerns voiced were regarding air quality, with several attendees questioning how it would be measured and how they would know if the air they were breathing was safe. It was explained that air quality was out of the department’s purview, but that because of the sheer amount of comments about air quality, they would light a fire underneath the Department of Air Quality to come out and do more testing.

Other concerns focused on the financial side of the operation. One citizen questioned how this would be paid for, with Luke explaining that operations like this are funded using tax dollars taken from coal production specifically for combating mine fires. This did not quell the commenter, who asked why Black Hawk, the land owner, was not paying for this. Again, Luke explained that this project was funded through money already set aside for operations like this which was disturbed through grants.

The man then focused on the efficacy of government-run operations like this, citing controlled burns that had gone awry as a source of hesitancy. Hibbard stepped in and explained that they would have undertaken this project whether it was on public or private land, and that they planned on being smart in terms of actually extinguishing the fire. “We’re not just going to try to put out the fire with money,” stated Hibbard.

When asked how much this project was estimated to cost, Luke explained that it would be variable based on how the fire changed between the time of the meeting and the actual project. But he said they plan on it being in the range of $400,000. 

Hibbard then took the reins and explained the planned time frame of the initial abatement process. With UDGOM having already scoped out the area and mapped out the fire, they were planning on having the project completed by the second or third week of November. The hope would be that this abatement would better contain the smoke and improve the air quality around the mine while the permanent solution was worked on.

The UDGOM also wanted to open a better line of communication with the public. UDGOM Environmental Manager Jan Morse provided her contact information if citizens had further concerns or if they saw changes in the fire. Morse can be contacted by email at janmorse@utah.gov or by phone at 385-799-0028.

The Utah Department of Gas, Oil and Mines can also be reached by email at oilgasmining@utah.gov or by phone by calling their office at (801) 538-5340.

With this story still developing, Castle Country Radio will provide updates as they become available.