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The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles unveiled a brand new license plate Friday. The Friends of Coal now have a plate of their very own.

Acting Gov, Earl Ray Tomblin was on hand at the West Virginia Coal Association's annual spring meeting in Charleston to unveil the plate. He says it's a great way to promote the coal industry.

"I think that we need to get our message out. One of the ways to do that is to have what I call a moving or mobile billboard,” Tomblin said.

     

Charleston – Four of the true pioneers of the state’s coal industry were inducted into the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame during ceremonies during a ceremony May 6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston.

Those being inducted were:  former Pocahontas Land Company President Robert “Bob” Raines; the late Johnson C. McKinley, a pioneer of the northern coalfields region of West Virginia; Purnal “Judge” McWhorter of McWhorter & Associates, LLC, formerly of Phillips Machine Services, and the late J. Robert Fletcher, of J.H. Fletcher& Co.

“This is the highest honor our industry can bestow,” said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. “This award is given to people who devote a lifetime of service to our industry and our state.  I am so proud to be able to say I know these gentlemen and count them as friends. They are gentlemen in every sense of the word. They embody the very best of our industry. Their lives of hard work, commitment to excellence and commitment to the state and its people truly light the way for the rest of us to follow.”

The Coal Hall of Fame was established in 1993 and is jointly sponsored by the West Virginia Coal Association, the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute and the West Virginia Mining and Reclamation Association. The first class was inducted in 1998.

The Mineral Resources Building of the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in Morgantown is home to the Coal Hall of Fame.

By Jim Ross

High prices in coal used to make steel is the driving force behind recent company mergers and acquisitions.

The market for metallurgical coal used to make steel may not be as big as the market for coal used in power plants, but it's where the money is going.

Interest in metallurgical, or met, coal, which has seen significant price increases in recent months, was the driving force behind three large mergers in the American coal industry in recent months, including this week's announcement by St. Louis-based Arch Coal that is buying Scott Depot-based International Coal Group,or ICG. But West Virginia has seen renewed interest in met coal for several years as foreign steel producers have brought met coal reserves and mines.

"We have had a lot of inquiries from foreign buyers - China, Europe, India - that are wanting to buy producers of coal," said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Company.

For more, click herehttp://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98834

ST. LOUIS, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) announced that it received the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative award, presented today by the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources during annual Arbor Day events.  The award was presented for the reclamation of a former surface mine in western Ohio County, near the communities of Rockport and Echols.

"In this project, the entire area was reclaimed into fish and wildlife post-mining land use.  Substantial amounts of native and western grasses were incorporated into the re-vegetation plans, and over 200,000 trees and shrubs were planted to establish wildlife food and shelter areas," stated Patriot Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charles A. Ebetino, Jr. "The reclaimed area is used by hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts, and has also been visited by academic groups to observe and study the success of native grasses, reforestation and the repopulation of wildlife species.  By thoughtfully incorporating grasses and wildlife that are native to this area, we have furthered our Company's mission to be a good steward of the land in the communities where we operate."

 

Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin will issue the first Friends of Coal official license plates at our annual joint meeting with the Coal Mining Institute, May 6 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston. The announcement and presentation will take place at 10:00 a.m.