The 41^st Annual Coal Mining Symposium is set for January 29 – 31^st, 2014 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Exhibit and Sponsorship information was sent to everyone the end of last week and responses have been numerous.  The general registration will be sent later today by e-mail and will also be available on-line at www.wvcoal.com

A block of sleeping rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express (directly across from the Civic Center) at a rate of $99.00 per night.  To reserve your room please call the Holiday Inn Express directly at304.345.0600 and let them know you want to be in the block of WVCA rooms.

By Greg Carter, Content Manager

CHARLESTON (December 18, 2013) — The West Virginia Coal Association today issued the following statement regarding West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's friend of the court filing urging the U.S. Supreme Court review the U.S. EPA's retroactive veto of a Clean Water Act permit for Mingo Logan Coal Co.'s Spruce surface mine in Logan County.

"We applaud today's action by A.G. Morrisey on behalf of West Virginia's coal mining families," said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. "Since his taking office earlier this year, A.G. Morrisey has been at the forefront of confronting the out-of-control EPA's assault on our hard working coal miners. Today's announcement of a friend of the court filing is just the latest example of his commitment to restoring the necessary balance between federal and state authority.

The West Virginia Business & Industry Council (BIC) will host lunches for the State Senate and the House of Delegates during the Legislature’s December Interim Committee meetings in Charleston.  As we are long standing members of BIC and Chris is currently chairman of the organization, Association members are encouraged to attend and visit with our elected officials during these informal lunches.  The House of Delegates will be hosted on Monday, December 9th and the State Senate on December 10th.  Each lunch will be held in the rotunda hallway outside the respective chambers on the main floor of the Capitol.  Please let Sandi know if you will be able to stop by either or both days.

CONSOL Energy Inc. has announced that it has closed on its previously announced agreement to sell its Consolidation Coal Company subsidiary, which includes all five of its longwall coal mines in West Virginia, to a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp. for $3.5 billion.

Lynn Smith, Secretary-Treasurer for the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute, as well as a Coal River Energy full-time employee, was awarded the honor of being inducted into the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute’s Hall of Fame (the first woman to be given this honor).