246
U T A H HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
than natural gas. It is already cheaper than fuel oil, and residual fuel may not be available in the future in the increasing quantities needed by steam electricgenerating plants. New industries have been built on coke by-products, such as oven gas. From the by-product process such diverse products as fertilizer, nylon, synthetic rubber, detergents, disinfectants, benzene, tolulene, dyes, solvents, perfumes, plastic, paints, and creosote are being made. The coal industry of Utah has shown a viability unequalled by that of any other western state. Utah is the only state west of the Mississippi which is producing more coal today than it did in 1940, and it controls over one-half of the market in every state west of the Rockies. This resiliency is partly due to the fact that Utah's 45 mines produce twice as much per mine as the national average. Extensive advertising has resulted, and, despite the cutback in production, several companies have completed extensive renovations and introduced new techniques to help prevent costly accidents. Though there were complaints about some infractions of the rules, union officials reported in 1957 that enforcement of safety regulations was generally satisfactory.28 In 1960, estimates placed Utah's coal reserves at 27.8 billion tons, with about 13.9 billion recoverable. This is about 1.7 per cent of the total in the United States. If Utah could mine 6 million tons per year, its coal would last over 2,300 years. Since 1950, new discoveries have been made which may help to save Utah's coal industry. Probably the most promising of tfiese is the long-distance transmission of extra-high voltage electricity. Another possible innovation is a pipeline to carry a slurry of water and coal to the expanding California industries. At least one company has recently experimented with low temperature carbonization from which by-products might be used to produce synthetic materials. In 1954, a group of local capitalists bought large blocks of coal shares in the belief that the coal industry had a substantial future in the chemical industries. Other possible new markets include a coal-fueled gas turbine and co-operation between coal companies and mine unions to export coal for Japanese industry. Governmental units, such as the Western Governors Mining Advisory Council, have suggested such expedients as the fostering of research by state and federal governments, amendment of the coal lands leasing act to allow more land to be taken by each company, and review of limits on oil import quotas. George A. Lamb, director of the Office of Coal Research for the Department of the Inn , r 8 T it'^o<n O C c° b e r
H
'
1 9 5 1 J a U a r y 1 5 1 9 5 8 ; Deseret , \ u L '
SanSdtaC—en',bUt " " * " * " ' '
"*" «*"
Ne
"«> J^uary 26, 1959 September 22
^
^
^
J
l
t
^
.
^
^
