The next regularly scheduled meeting of WVCA’s Mine Safety Committee is planned for Thursday, August 22^ND 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.

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

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.

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.

CHARLESTON – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has announced that for the third consecutive year West Virginia exports reached a record level. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce show the state’s exports grew from $9 billion in 2011 to $11.3 billion in 2012. West Virginia companies exported to136 countries in 2012.