Symposium Agenda

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD
11:30 a.m. Lunch sponsored by Jackson Kelly
 
1 – 5 p.m. Health & Safety Session
1 p.m.       Federal Mine Safety & Enforcement Program
                Kevin Stricklin, Administrator
                Mine Safety & Health Administration
                Bob E. Cornett – MSHA District 3 Manager
                Robert Hardman – MSHA District 4 Manager
2:15 p.m.   WV Mine Safety Update
                C.A. Phillips, Deputy Director
                WV Office of Miner’s Health, Safety & Training
                Joel Watts, Board Administrator, WV Board of Coal Mine Health & Safety
3 p.m.       Proximity Detection Devices
                Jim Dean
                WV Mine Safety Task Force
3:30 p.m.   Deep-Cut Mining
                Gary Hartsog
                Alpha Engineering
4 p.m.       Coal Safety Legal Forum
                Mark Heath, Spilman Thomas & Battle
                Dave Hardy, Allen Guthrie McHugh & Thomas
                Bob Beatty, Dinsmore & Shohl
 
1 – 5 p.m.  Environmental Session
1 p.m.       WV Mining Regulatory Update
                Jason Bostic
1:30 p.m.   NPDES Update
                Allyn Turner
                Spilman Thomas & Battle
2 p.m.       OSM Oversight Update
                Roger Calhoun
                Office of Surface Mining
2:30 p.m.   Corps of Engineering Permitting Update
                Ginger Mullins
                Huntington Corps of Engineers
3 p.m.       Environmental Justice & Mining
                Matt Tyree
                Jackson Kelly
3:30          Conductivity Ranges & Responses
                Ed Kirk, REIC
                Randy Maggard, Argus Energy
5 p.m.       Associate’s Welcoming Reception
 
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH
 
7:00 a.m.   REGISTRATION
 
7:30 a.m.   Breakfast sponsored by Dinsmore & Shohl and Logan Corporation
8:30 a.m.   Welcome & Introductions
                James O. Bunn
                WVCA Chairman
8:45 a.m.   Central Appalachian Challenges
                Joe Craft, President/CEO
                Alliance Coal Company
9:30 a.m.   The State of the State
                Governor Joe Manchin
                State of West Virginia
 
10:15 a.m. Break sponsored by Steptoe & Johnson
 
10:30 a.m. U. S. Coal Forecast 2010
                Hal Quinn, President
                National Mining Association
11:15 a.m. American Energy Securities Study
                Kenneth Nemeth, Executive Director
                Southern States Energy Board
 
12 noon     Mountaineer Guardian Luncheon
                Sponsored by Bowles Rice and Marshall Miller Associates
                Awards Presentation by WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training
 2 p.m.      MSHA 2010
                Joe Main, Assistant Secretary
                U. S. Mine Safety & Health Administration
2:45 p.m.  West Virginia’s Coal Economy
                Tom Witt, WVU
                Cal Kent, Marshall University
3:30 p.m.   Break sponsored by Steptoe & Johnson
3:45 p.m.   Coal Advocacy
                        -- Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary
                        -- FACES
                        -- Mountain Top Mining Coalition
                        -- Young West Virginians for Coal
 
5 p.m.       Legislative Reception
 
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH

7 a.m.       Registration
 
7:30 a.m.   Breakfast sponsored by Brickstreet and
Wells Fargo Insurance – Energy & Mining Group
 
8:30 a.m.   Welcome
 
8:35 a.m.   Congressional Activity Relating to Coal
                Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito
9:15 a. m.  OSM 2010
                Joseph Pizarchik, Director
                U. S. Office of Surface Mining
9:50 a.m.   Renewable Energy –
The Gap Between the Idea and Reality
                Dr. Charles Bayless
 
10:30 a.m. Break sponsored by Steptoe & Johnson
 
10:45 a.m. Environmental Litigation Update
                Bob McLusky
                Jackson Kelly, PLLC
11:15 a.m. West Virginia’s Mining & Reclamation Program
                Tom Clarke, Director, Division of Mining & Reclamation
                WV Department of Environmental Protection
 
12 noon     Reclamation Awards Luncheon
                Sponsored by Spilman Thomas & Battle and
                                                        Potesta & Associates
                Awards Presentation:  Randy Huffman, Cabinet Secretary
                WV Department of Environmental Protection

2010 Guidebook to West Virginia Taxes

The 2010 Guidebook to West Virginia Taxes has been released as an e-book that is available at no charge to you.  The Guidebook is the work of several leading tax practitioners and was edited by Dale W. Steager, Esq. 
            
The Guidebook as well as to other tax related materials can be accessed from a link on the CPA Society's website or at http://www.jimsturgeon.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1969:2010-guidebook-to-wv-taxes.

WVCA New Members

The WVCA Board of Directors has approved the membership of producing member INR Energy with Stephen D. “Doug” Williams as their COO and representative.
 
New Associate Members are: A C Power Tech, Inc., Alex Cerreti, President; AirFlow Catalyst Systems, Inc., John Belgiorno, Sales Manager for North America; Compass Coal Services, LLC, William E. Massey, President; and, Pennington Seed, Inc.-Virginia Division, Dan Cosgrove, Professional Turf Sales.  Welcome to all and we look forward to meeting you at the Symposium.

Ethics Rules Changed by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that corporations may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on business efforts to influence federal campaigns. By a 5-4 vote, the court overturned a 20-year-old ruling that said companies can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads. 
 
The decision leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions. It does, however, remove limits on independent expenditures that are not coordinated with candidates' campaigns.
 
The case does not affect political action committees (PAC).  Corporations, unions and others may create PACs to contribute directly to candidates, but they must be funded with voluntary contributions from employees, members and other individuals, not by corporate or union treasuries.

Mollohan Will Be Challenged

Three Republican challengers have filed for nomination to the 1st District Congressional seat currently held by Alan Mollohan.  They include David McKinley, former House of Delegates member from Wheeling, Sarah Minear, former State Senator from Morgantown and Tucker County and newcomer, Mack Warner from Morgantown.  The three Republicans will vie for their party’s nomination in the May Primary Election.  Although no one else has filed, there is one well-known Democrat from the district considering a possible run for the seat.  The registration period ends on Saturday, January 30th.