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The Boone County Commission could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars if recently announced coal mine layoffs last for an extended period of time.
"It's going to hurt everybody in our county," Commission President Mickey Brown told MetroNews Monday. "We're totally dependent upon coal."
Both Patriot Coal and Alpha Natural Resources announced layoffs at various southern West Virginia coal mines last week. Several of those are in Boone County.
Brown says coal production actually peaked in Boone County in 2007 but severance tax revenues have stayed steady because of the high price of coal per ton.
"If it wasn't for the price---our coal severance would have been way down," Brown said.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va.
A West Virginia company is working on a piece of equipment designed to keep miners safer.
Trinity Resources demonstrated its a mobile mine safety chamber this week at the West Virginia Mining Symposium in Charleston.
The company headquartered in Putnam County has been working on the project for about three years.
The device resembles a big steel box on bulldozer tracks and is designed to keep underground miners safe in the event of an explosion or collapse.
The Daily Mail reports that the aptly named Guardian Angel contains enough oxygen to keep 15 miners alive for up to four days. Food, first aid gear and water also can be placed under the floor panels in the chamber. And it's also equipped with a toilet.
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CHARLESTON - State and national leaders, have been joining with energy experts and regulatory officials in addressing representatives of the state's coal industry during the 39th annual West Virginia Coal Association Mining Symposium. The 2012 Symposium concludes Friday at the Charleston Civic Center.
Friday's session features Senator Manchin discussing his outlook for the on going challenges with EPA's permitting process. West Virginia Coal companies will be recognized for their Environmental Restoration Awards today.
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By Taylor Kuykendall, Reporter -
At a meeting of the West Virginia Coal Association Friday morning, Kentucky and Ohio industry officials called for answers as to why a natural gas company has been funneling money to groups who are fighting the coal industry on environmental and health grounds.
Bill Bissett, president of the Kentucky Coal Association, spent the last few minutes of his presentation to West Virginia coal miners and industry executives discussing his disgust with Chesapeake Energy for their funding of anti-coal campaigns.
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By Taylor Kuykendall, Reporter -
During a panel discussion entitled "Obama's No Job Zone," coal industry leaders decried President Obama's energy and environmental policies at the West Virginia Coal Symposium Friday morning.
The discussion opened with Josie Gaskey, director of the Pennsylvania Coal Association. Her state's industry, she said, faces problems from the "overreach" of various regulatory agencies at the federal level.
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By VICKI SMITH
Associated Press
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Coal operators across the country are changing the way they work, and mines are becoming safer, but the head of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said Thursday there are still too many who "don't get it."
In a speech at the West Virginia Coal Association's annual mining symposium, MSHA chief Joe Main said his inspectors can't be in every mine at every shift, and companies need to take more responsibility for running coal safely. Those who don't, he warned, can expect to face tough penalties.
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The Associated Press
CHARLESTON — The coal industry is in an era of change that industry leaders and regulators are discussing at the West Virginia Coal Association's annual mining symposium in Charleston.
The head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration will tell operators what to expect in 2012 on Thursday, while Virginia's Alpha Natural Resources will talk about its own initiatives.
Alpha bought Massey Energy last summer and has agreed to a federal settlement that could lead to new safety and technology programs.
The deal stemmed from the 2010 explosion of the Upper Big Branch mine.
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Fola Coal Mine No. 1 wins the Barton B. Lay Milestones of Safety Award
Consol’s Robinson Run No. 95 wins the Eustace Frederick Award.
CHARLESTON -- Mine safety is a central focus of West Virginia’s coal industry. At Thursday’s session of the 39th Annual West Virginia Mining Symposium in Charleston, 32 mining and service companies were recognized for their commitment to workplace safety in 2011.
Topping the list of award winners were Fola Coal Company’s Surface Mine No. 1 in Clay County, that took home the Barton B. Lay Milestones of Safety Award and Consol’s Robinson Run No. 95 in Marion County that took home the Eustace Frederick Award.
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By Taylor Kuykendall, Reporter -
Though the coal industry may face a tougher crowd at the federal level, West Virginia officials are embracing the industry.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Senate President Jeff Kessler both talked up their dedication to coal at the West Virginia Coal Association's symposium Thursday.
"Coal has been the backbone of our economy for 100 years and will continue to for many years to come, to be an important of our economy in West Virginia," Tomblin said, thanking the industry representatives for their roles in the state's success.
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