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West Virginia’s coal industry and coal miners were celebrated and honored Saturday night in front of a national television audience during the WVU v Iowa State football game, which was broadcast on the Fox network.
The West Virginia University football team wore the new all-black “Coal Rush” uniform which was designed to pay tribute to the work ethic and bravery of the West Virginia coal miner and celebrate our state’s coal industry.
Our players entered the field joined by miners from Arch Resources’ Leer Mining Complex in Grafton where the Coal Rush concept was derived. The miners also accompanied the team as they made the "Mountaineer Mantrip" player-walk into the stadium.
The miners, representatives of the WVU Mining Engineering Student Mine Rescue Team and other industry officials were honored during the game. During half time, as part of a show comprised of hundreds of lighted drones flying above the stadium, the drones spelled out “Coal Never Quits”.
In the days leading up to the game, Pat McAfee, former WVU kicker, ESPN commentator, and current host of the Pat McAfee Show, highlighted the importance of the coal miner to West Virginia and the country. During the game broadcast, national commentators continually lauded the history, heritage, and impact of the mining industry.
This was a very special evening, and, as an industry, we are appreciative of WVU’s acknowledgement of coal’s role in shaping our state and people.
- WVU Mantrip: Coal Rush Edition - Sports Illustrated
- WVU's "Coal Rush" Look Tabbed Best Uniform of the Week in College Football. -Sports Illustrated
- WVU Man Trip - Coal Rush Edition - YouTube
- Coal Rush (Drones) - WVU salutes West Virginia Coal Miners (Half-time) October 12, 2024
- PHOTOS: Best snapshots from WVU football Coal Rush game
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When the West Virginia University football team takes the field on Saturday night against nationally-ranked Iowa State they’ll don the new “Coal Rush” uniform. Our players will be accompanied onto the field by miners from Arch Resources’ Leer Mine Complex in Grafton where the Coal Rush concept was derived.
The Coal Rush uniform was designed to pay tribute to the work ethic and bravery of the West Virginia coal miner and celebrate our state’s coal industry.
In announcing the design back in May, WVU Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said, “If our football team was going to have a black alternate uniform, we wanted it to tell a story and mean something to our fans. Coal mining has a deep history in West Virginia, and the work ethic of coal miners is woven into the fabric of our culture. Our football team looks forward to honoring the rich tradition and history of West Virginia’s coal mining industry…”
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There is a sudden, unexpected and massive rise in electricity demand occurring across the country due to a variety of factors converging before us.
Large power-gobbling data centers necessary to support our nation’s ever-increasing digital activities and the evolution of artificial intelligence technologies are a primary factor.
Our growing economy, the rise in remote work, personal technology reliance, and electric vehicle usage are also contributing to this demand.
This is great news for states like West Virginia, which generate more electricity than it consumes and has the capability and capacity to accommodate the expected growth in demand.
Not only is West Virginia blessed with indigenous coal supplies, but we also check the box for available land mass and plentiful water supplies necessary for power development.
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WVCA’s Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton presented testimony at the MSHA’s public hearing on Proposed Rule on Proximity Detection Systems for Continuous Mining Machines in Underground Coal Mines last week. The hearing was conducted by Greg Wagner, MSHA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary
Hamilton discussed issues and concerns with the proposed timeline for refitting continuous miners with proximity detectors and advised of the work done by the WV Mine Safety Technology Task Force and encouraged MSHA to coordinate the development of this rule with the State. He also used the hearing as an opportunity to express concern over the agencies position and reluctance to approve extended-cut remote controlled mining plans in order to minimize unnecessary repeated exposure to moving equipment underground.
Full WVCA testimony as well as testimony presented by Brian Thompson of Joy Global is available from WVCA by contacting Chris Hamilton at
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The West Virginia Mining Symposium continued in Charleston Thursday and Governor Tomblin was there holding up one of the promises he made in his State of the State Address.
His administration is introducing a mine safety bill. Some key components are mandatory drug testing of all miners, including pre-employment testing, requiring employers to report when workers are let go because of violations, even if they just refuse, and giving employees 30 days to notify the state if they've been convicted of a drug related crime.
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Charleston, W.Va. – Twenty-seven states, including West Virginia, today filed motions with the U.S. Supreme Court to stay EPA’s carbon rule that was finalized in early May. Chris Hamilton, President and CEO of the West Virginia Coal Association, offers the following statement:
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"We appreciate the West Virginia Republican Party and all the state representatives that attended the convention and proudly wore these hardhats to pay tribute to our state’s foundational industry and hard working miners,” said Chris Hamilton, President of the West Virginia Coal Association.
“Millions of Americans who watched the convention likely saw the red, white, and blue hard hats which symbolize the strength and resilience of our citizenry during cut-away shots of the crowd and in various media reports.
The West Virginia Coal Association is proud to support our delegation and wholeheartedly and enthusiastically approve of the vote they cast for Donald J. Trump for President”.
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Charleston, W.Va.– The West Virginia Coal Association in partnership with America’s Coal Associations announce the launch of the “Friends of Coal” app, an interactive and educational portal designed to equip users with a direct link to current information and issues impacting West Virginia’s and our nation’s coal industry.
The app is available for download on Android and Apple products at the following links:
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West Virginia football will debut a black alternate uniform for the 2024 season that's designed to pay homage to the state's rich coal tradition and honor miners who work underground daily to supply energy around the world. After the unveiling of new blue, gold and white uniforms at the annual Gold-Blue Spring game, the black alternate unform serves as an additional uniform set for the Mountaineers to showcase on select occasions. The ideas and designs for the black alternate uniform came from a day spent with actual miners.
- West Virginia Coal Association Statement on EPA’s Final Carbon Rule
- West Virginia Coal Association's 50th Mining Symposium and Coal Show Huge Success
- State and National Leaders to Headline 50th Annual West Virginia Mining Symposium March 26-27
- West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame Inducts 26th Class of Honorees
- Our New Radio Spot: Discover Why West Virginia is Now a Top Global Destination!
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West Virginia Coal Association
The West Virginia Coal Association has been the voice of the coal industry for over 100 years, advocating for safe, responsible mining practices and supporting the communities that depend on coal.
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