Bomb threat at Genwal Mine

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Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon said that at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, the Emery County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher Jeff Cowley received a call from Jim Pruitt, the Safety Manager at Genwal Coal Mine located approximately 25 miles west of Huntington in Huntington Canyon. Pruitt informed Deputy Cowley that he had received a bomb threat at the coal mine.
The caller, a male voice, informed him that there was a bomb in the mine that was set to go off today. At this point sheriff’s deputies were alerted and sent to the scene. Detective Sgt. Bob Blackburn, Sgt. Norm Vuksinick, Patrol Sgt. Jeff Thomas and Homeland Security Sgt. Martin Wilson, along with other sheriff’s deputies secured the mine and the area leading to the coal mine.
The investigation proceeded and all the miners were evacuated from the mine and the surrounding area. All the coal trucks that are normally on the property transporting coal from the mine were also evacuated. The coal mine has been secured. The investigation is continuing. There is a $10,000 reward that has been offered for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the bomb threat to the coal company. The crime is very serious in nature and if arrests are made the responsible parties will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The coal company and local law enforcement take these incidents very seriously because of the potential for the number of lives that could be affected if a bomb were detonated underground in the coal mine. Not only would it be disastrous for the loss of lives, it is also very expensive to the coal company and those that work there. The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help in the investigation to find the person or persons responsible for the bomb threat. Any information can be given to the coal company or to the sheriff’s office at 381-2404..