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The Friends of Coal and Consol Energy are prominent sponsors of this year’s West Virginia National Hunting & Fishing Days Celebration, taking place September 28-29, 2013 at Stonewall Resort State Park, near Weston.
Recognized as our state’s main celebration of West Virginia’s outdoor and sporting heritage, we encourage all Friends of Coal to come out, bring their family and enjoy two days of outdoor activities and demonstrations by some of the world’s top outdoorsmen and women.
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The West Virginia Coal Forum with co-hosts the Chamber of Commerce of Martinsburg & Berkeley County, Jefferson County Economic Development Authority, Berkeley County Economic Development Authority, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and the Eastern Panhandle Business Association conducted a meeting on Wednesday, September 4th to discuss the significance of the coal industry and coal exports to the Eastern Panhandle, our state and the nation at the Martinsburg Holiday Inn. Coal Forum Co-Chairmen Chris Hamilton, WV Coal Association, and Fred Tucker, UMWA, welcomed the more than 70 event attendees and set the stage for the meeting.
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Charleston, WV (Aug. 15, 2013) – According to information released by the West Virginia Division of Commerce in February, West Virginia coal exports grew by 40 percent last year, increasing from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.4 billion in 2012. West Virginia coal accounted for 49 percent of U.S. coal exports in 2012.
The West Virginia Coal Forum – an organization representing both labor and management in the coal industry – and co-host West Liberty University will conduct a meeting to discuss the significance of coal exports to our state and national economies from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15 at West Liberty University’s Highland Energy Center, located in Triadelphia, West Virginia (near the Cabela’s retail store).
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Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is pleased to announce that attorneys Kathy G. Beckett, David M. Flannery, Laura M. Goldfarb, Laura P. Hoffman and Edward L. “Skipp” Kropp have joined the firm’s environmental and energy law teams
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In 2008, the year President Obama was elected, West Virginia produced 165 million tons of coal and more than 27,000 West Virginians were directly employed in the state’s coal mines. Current projections by the State Tax Office for 2013 show production of only 115 million tons and according to the Office of Miners Health, Safety and Training, direct employment is down to just 19,320 active miners. This represents a drop in production over the past four and a half years of 31 percent and a drop in employment of 29 percent.
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MSHA held an open industry briefing this week and revealed the following three initiatives of the agency:
Reference was made to MSHA pursuing a “global” HazCom standard, patterned after the one in use under OSHA law. A program Policy Letter will be forthcoming on Monday, August 12 that will explain the differences between the two standards and how MSHA intends on reconciling the two programs along with the changes coal operators will have to undertake to meet compliance expectations going forward.
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The next regularly scheduled meeting of WVCA’s Mine Safety Committee is planned for Thursday, August 22ND at the Charleston Civic Center. The meeting will begin at 9 am in Room 206 and is intended to provide an up-to-date review and discussion of current mine safety issues pending on the state and federal level.
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Request for Information and Limited Reopening of the Record
On August 8, 2013, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) published two notices in the Federal Register on refuge alternatives in underground coal mines:
· A Request for Information (RFI) to request data, comment, and information on issues and options relevant to miners’ escape and refuge; and
· A Limited Reopening of the Record to request public comment on the appropriate frequency for motor task (hands-on), decision-making, and expectations training for miners on refuge alternatives.
Responses to these requests will help improve the overall strategy for miners’ survival in an underground coal mine emergency.
These notices are available for viewing at the Federal Register Public Inspection Desk: http://www.federalregister.gov/inspection.aspx. Comments are due by October 7th, 2013.
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