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Details: July 23, 2015

The 2015 edition of Coal Facts, the West Virginia Coal Association’s annual statistical report, is now in production and will be ready for distribution within the next two weeks. The publication will feature updates on the status of the coal industry in the state, production, employment and distribution data, a review of state coal severance tax collections and distributions as well as county-by-county data.

Details: July 23, 2015

U.S. Coal Production Up Again Week Over Week

Coal Commodity Region/Fuel	Avg. BTU	SO2	Price	Price/mmBU
Central Appalachia	12,500	1.2	$54.0	$2.20
Northern Appalachia	13,000	3	$53.0	$2.05
Illinois Basin	11,800	5	$43.35	$1.46
Powder River Basin	8,800	0.8	$11.55	$0.66
Uinta Basin	11,700	0.8	$39.35	$1.68
Natural Gas (Henry Hub)	n/a	0.01	n/a	$2.75

Coal production in the U.S. rose sharply for the week ending July 18, compared to the previous week – continuing the positive trend of the past few weeks. However production continues to fall short of last year according to the latest report from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) for the week.

Details: July 23, 2015

More than 80 coal miners packed a state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) public hearing in support of changes to two West Virginia water quality standards. The crowd of miners, wearing their work clothes with reflective stripes, greatly outnumbered a handful of environmental group representatives.

DEP’s Division of Water and Waste Management has proposed changes to the way West Virginia calculates its standards for aluminum and selenium. The proposed new rule would effectively bring the state’s standards into compliance with the rest of the nation.

Details: July 23, 2015

The coal industry has a long history of surviving dramatic cycles of good times and bad, but most people familiar with the coal industry recognize the current slump as being one of the most challenging in the history of the West Virginia coalfields.

This was the primary topic of a meeting of the West Virginia Coal Forum held Thursday in Bluefield. The West Virginia Coal Forum is a quasi-governmental agency that the state Legislature established in 1986. It represents the interests of both labor and management relating to the state’s leading industry.

Details: July 16, 2015

Constructed on the site of a reclaimed surface mine and a wonderful example of post-mining land use, the West Virginia Clays, Inc. is having its 3^rd Annual Clays for Coal Outing on August 13, 2015 beginning at 10 a.m. West Virginia Clays, Inc is located on County Route 1, Ashford Nellis Road. Please RSVP or for more information contact Libby Cottrell at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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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.