According to the news accounts, EPA has delayed or abandoned a change to the definition of fill materialˇ which would have further eroded the ability of the Corps of Engineers to issue permits under 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA).  This is good news for the coal industry, which needs 404 permits for: excess spoil and refuse fills; pond construction; and surface mines which mine through streams.  To read more, click here.

ABINGDON, Va. — Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR), a leading supplier and exporter of coal, has appointed Paul Vining to the newly created position of Chief Commercial Officer.

Vining will bring 30 years of proven executive experience within the coal industry when he joins Alpha in early May. From 2008 to 2010 he was President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Louis-based Patriot Coal Corp. (NYSE: PCX), a major U.S. producer of metallurgical and steam coal. Prior to that Vining was Chief Executive Officer of Magnum Coal Co. and Trout Coal Holdings, two privately held Central Appalachian coal producers. He has held the top executive sales and trading positions for both Arch Coal and Peabody Energy, the two largest coal producers in the United States, and had key sales and marketing roles at Island Creek Coal Co. and A.T. Massey Coal Co.

BEIJING, April 12 (Reuters) - Coal exports from the United States are expected to jump 70 percent in 2011 because of a supply squeeze in Asia-Pacific, while a weak dollar has made U.S. cargoes more attractive, top U.S. coal exporter Xcoal Energy & Resources said.

Total coal exports to Asia from the U.S. are expected to reach 20.1 million tons this year after impressive growth of 250 percent in 2010 over 2009, Xcoal Chief Executive Ernie Thrasher told an industry conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Source: http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL3E7FB2MZ20110412

CHARLESTON -- Due to a scheduling conflict, the 14th Annual CEDAR Golf Scramble has been rescheduled. The scramble will now be held Tuesday, May 17. 2011 at the Raven Rock Golf Course in Jenkins, Kentucky. The event will begin with registration at 10:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at noon.

The scramble will feature a four-person scramble format.

Entry fees are $75 per person or $300 per team. 357-5709

A reception will begin at 5 p.m. at the Pikeville College Gym in Pikeville, Kentucky.

If you want to play or want to enter a team, visit our website atwww.cedarswv.com for a form. Send the completed forms along with the appropriate fees to P. O. Box 2152, Pikeville, KY 41502. Registrations are due by Monday, May 2, 2011.

BIRCH RIVER -- ICG Eastern will be holding its 5^th annual Arbor Day celebration on Thursday, April 28, 2011 beginning at 10 a.m. at its Birch River operations. The event is always fun. Students from neighboring schools join staff and members of the community to plant hardwood trees on the site, and various related events are held in conjunction with the celebration.

If you have an Arbor or Earth Day celebration scheduled that you would like to include, please give us a call at 304.342.4153.