Representatives of the West Virginia Coal Association and the Friends of Coal responded this week to the findings of the “report” by the Morgantown-based, anti-coal research organization, Downstream Strategies.

Despite being presented as a “complete report” of the economic impact of the coal industry on the state, the report left out several key calculations, including the $90 million in property taxes paid by the industry to the various counties and, unbelievably, the $3.2 billion in wages paid by the industry and its vendors and support companies.

Officials also drew attention to the background and obvious biases of the report’s authors, who include a member of Coal River Mountain Watch, and to the anti-coal groups funding the research, such as the Sierra Club and the SEIU.

Association officials referred reporters back to the study released earlier this year by a joint West Virginia University/Marshall University research team that we believe was much more thorough in its analysis of the vital economic impact of our industry on our state.

Association spokesmen were quoted in a variety of publications and broadcast news around the state and responded to stories posted on the internet and on social media forums such as Facebook.

The WV Office of Miners Health Safety & Training will conduct a public hearing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30th on the proposed amendments to Title 56, Series 3 Rules Governing Those Employed in and Around Surface Mines in West Virginia.  The hearing will be held in the agency’s Charleston Office at 1615 Washington Street East. The rules are available on the agency’s homepage at http://www.wvminesafety.org/.

The next episode of The Coal Seam television show will be taped June 29 at the studios in Charleston, with Lt. Governor and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin as our guest. We expect the conversation to focus on the EPA’s war on eastern coal, safety issues and vital importance of the industry to the state’s economy. The show is broadcast statewide on the state Library Network and various public access channels. Check with your local cable provider for channel and times.

The Friends of Coal continues work on the 2010 issue of the annual coal industry insert of The State Journal. This year’s publication will feature stories concerning mine safety, the economic contribution of the industry to the state and nation, the process of surface mining, post-mine restoration and the industry’s efforts to develop and diversify the coalfield economy, as well as features on the Friends of Coal Bowl and the Friends of Coal Bowl Scholarships funded each year by the industry in conjunction with our sponsorship of the game, as well as other feature stories. Look for your copy at the annual meeting in August.

Representatives of the West Virginia Coal Association and the Friends of Coal will be busy through the next few months.  Continuing our outreach efforts around the state, the Friends of Coal has already scheduled the following events:

·         (July 2-4) The Freedom Festival in Logan, WV – the city’s annual street fair. This follows on the heels of successful efforts at the Hatfield-McCoy Days in Williamson and the Coal Festival in Madison as reported in this past week’s Coal Bits.
·         (July 9) West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney will speak to the Martinsburg Chamber of Commerce.
·         (July 17) The Friends of Coal Auto Fair in Beckley and the Mark Plants’ Football Camp in Charleston.
·         (August 2-3) As noted, the Friends of Coal, Faces of Coal, Citizens for Coal, the Logan Coal Vendors and others are joining with the Coalition for Mountaintop Mining and the Eastern States Coal Association to send 200-300 coal miners and their families to DC for an informational effort to educate members of Congress about the vital importance of eastern coal.
·         (August 13-20) We are finalizing our participation schedule for this year’s State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg.
 
This is just a partial list of events the Friends of Coal plans to attend. If you would like to schedule a representative of the Friends of Coal or the West Virginia Coal Association for your event, please contact us at 304.342.4153. Our schedules are filling fast and we very much want to meet with your group to provide an accurate portrait of our state’s coal industry.