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Friends of Coal sponsored events are as follows and would welcome participation as far as trophy presentations.
* February 25 – Wrestling State Championships 6 – 10 p.m. – Big Sandy Arena, Huntington
* March 10 – Girl’s Basketball State Championship 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston Civic Center
* March 17 – Boy’s Basketball State Championship – 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston Civic Center
Please let the Association know if you have an interest in awarding trophies at any of these events representing the Friends of Coal.
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Planning is underway for this year’s WV Coal Association’s State Journal insert. This special publication will print in late-July. It is a great opportunity to get the message out that coal is and will remain the economic bedrock of the state’s economy. This past year’s edition included production, employment, coal severance data, membership profiles, editorial features and other key information.
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West Virginia’s coal industry is currently being hit by a “perfect storm” of regulatory and market factors and the result has been a sharp drop in production – in both the southern and northern coalfields.
According to the EIA’s latest weekly report, while coal production nationwide has slipped just 0.3 percent and West Virginia has seen a drop of just 0.5 percent for the year ending 2/12/12, the more recent trends have shown a steep drop in production – down 2.4 percent nationwide for the year-to-date. In West Virginia, meanwhile, year-to-date production is off 7.2 percent from the same period in 2011 – to just 15.4 tons compared to 16.6 million tons last year.
This sharp decrease is fueled by both a drop in demand as the nation’s utilities work through stockpiles of coal left from a mild winter and decreased demand for met coal because of the economic uncertainties around the world, as well as regulatory uncertainty caused by the Obama EPA’s on-going assault on coal.
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This week, FirstEnergy announced the closing of three coal-fired power plants because of the EPA’s new tougher air pollution standards. The power stations at Albright in Preston County, Rivesville in Marion County and Willow Island in Pleasants County are shutting down, putting over 100 people out of work.
FirstEnergy said it would cost too much to update these plants with the pollution control equipment necessary to meet EPA’s rules. These are old facilities and their days were numbered, but the EPA’s new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) hastened their demise.
The closings are a tough blow for those communities; jobs are lost and tax revenue from the utilities will dry up.
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GOLF COURSE COURTESY OF TECO COAL CORPORATION
LOCATION: Raven Rock Golf Course
US Route 23, Jenkins, Kentucky
DATE: Tues. April 10, 2012
TIME: 10:30–Registration
11:15 - Lunch
12:00 (NOON) SHOTGUN START
FORMAT: 4-Person Scramble
ENTRY FEE: $75/Person; $300/Team
(Includes: Lunch, Golf, Cart, Drinks, Prizes)
MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: CEDAR, INC.
Mail Completed Form(s) & Check to: P. O. Box 2152, Pikeville, KY 41502
GOLF REGISTRATIONS & HOLE SPONSORSHIPS ARE DUE BY ***MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012***
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The Friends of Coal completed work on two new radio spots since the last Coal Bits – one focused on the Coal Symposium and another “Welcome Home” spot for our recently returned National Guard units, recognizing their service during the first period in which all units have been home from deployment since the War on Terror began almost 11 years ago.
Listen for them on your local radio station.
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The 2011 edition of Coal Facts is now available at the offices of the West Virginia Coal Association and online at the West Virginia Coal Association website (www.wvcoal.com) and the Friends of Coal website (www.friendsofcoal.org).
The annual publication features an overview of key coal production, employment, distribution, consumption and tax data for both West Virginia and the nation. It also features articles on reclamation and restoration of former mined land, post-mine land use, overviews of the history of coal in our state and the permitting process. Hard copies can be obtained at the WV Coal Association offices in Charleston.
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The Coal Seam has finished two new episodes this month. The first, featuring Governor Tomblin and Department of Revenue Deputy Commissioner Mark Muchow is currently airing. In this episode, the Governor discusses his legislative agenda. Muchow then summarizes the current state budget, the status of coal severance collections for the current fiscal year and what he anticipates for the future.
In the second episode, which should air in March, host Chris Hamilton and guest Jason Parsons, president of Remember the Miners discuss the group and its mission.
The Coal Seam is produced monthly at the studios of the State Library Commission in Charleston. The show airs on the state Library Commission network and on your local cable system.
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