The colorful Erkan “Doc” Esmer passed away last weekend.  “Doc” to his friends was an environmental guru in the field of reclamation and impoundments and will be missed by all in the industry.  Donations can be made in his memory to the Islamic Association of WV, 1 Valley Drive, South Charleston, WV  25303

The last of a series of coal and energy forums around the state will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 5^th at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown.  The forum is co-sponsored by the WV Coal Forum and the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, and is designed for industry representatives and local business and policy leaders to discuss the significance of the coal industry and coal exports to north central West Virginia.

Persons interested in attending the forum are requested to register by e-mailing Joel Watts at rsvp@wvcoalforum.org.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is re-opening the rulemaking record for MSHA’s existing rule on Refuge Alternatives for the limited purpose of obtaining comments on the frequency for motor task (hands-on), decision-making, and expectations training for miners to deploy and use refuge alternatives in underground coal mines.

Natural Resource Partners, LP (NRP) presented the 9th Annual Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce Energy & Natural Resources Symposium at the St. Mary’s Center for Education Oct. 12 in Huntington. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) President Robert M. “Mike” Duncan was the featured speaker at the event, which focused on a serious threat to future of the coal industry – the EPA’s GHG regulations.

Nearly 100 people attended the meeting to discuss what NRP COO Nick Carter says is an attack by the government to put coal companies out of business.

According to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly production report, year-to-date U.S. metallurgical exports through August 2013 were down 10% as compared to the same period last year (44.8mt v. 49.8mt) and steam coal exports were off by 8.7% (35mt v. 38.4mt). Coal imports were also down 2.4% for the same year-to-date period (5.8mt v. 5.9mt).  West Virginia’s 2013 year-to-date production, through 11/9, was down 2.8% statewide when compared to the same period in 2012 (101.9mt v. 104.9mt), with northern WV production up 2.2% (36.5mt v. 35.7mt) and southern WV was off 5.4% (65.5mt v. 669.2mt). U.S. year-to-date production through 11/9 was down 2.2% (861.6mt v. 878.2mt).  There were 118,274 railroad cars loaded last week.