Utah mine takes extra step to snuff out fire

Arch Coal Co. says a smoldering coal seam that shut down a Utah mine last month no longer shows signs of combustion.

Arch's senior vice president of operations, Paul Lang, says air monitors are detecting no problem.

But Lang says for safety's sake Dugout Canyon Mine will stay shut for another month as workers temporarily seal a mine section to make certain the fire is snuffed out for good.

Rising carbon monoxide levels forced Dugout to shut down June 22. It was the same problem that shut down Dugout for three weeks in May.

St. Louis-based Arch Coal says it's notifying customers of a coal shortage.

Dugout employs 275 workers. The company says some are still working at the mine, while others have been offered temporary assignments elsewhere in Utah and Colorado.