The Coal Preparation Society of America (CPSA) has named Art Sanda executive director.  Sanda has been manager of public relations and government affairs for Eastern Associated Coal Corp., editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Coal Age magazine and will continue to be contributing editor for Coal People magazine.  Sanda will be the first executive director of the Society which is celebrating its 10^thanniversary. 

At its May meeting held at the 2012 International Coal Prep Conference and Exhibition in Lexington, KY, CPSA also elected a new slate of officers.  Elected to two-year terms of office were Robert W. Hollis, vice president preparation for James River Coal Co., as president; R. Hunter Davis, manager of coal preparation for Alliance Coal, LLC, as vice president, and Michael Ferguson, vice president ofTaggart Global, LLC, as treasurer.  Barbara Arnold, president of Pro Tech, Inc., was re-elected to a two-year term as secretary.

In last week’s Coal Bits a story copied from the Charleston Gazette told of the WV Army National Guardsmen who were assisting and consulting with mining operations in Mongolia.  The three guardsmen listed are all employees of member companies. 

First Lt. Joshua Poling of Morgantown works for CONSOL Energy’s Robinson Run Mine, 1^st Lt. John Sinsel of Grafton is an employee of Arch Coal and Staff Sgt. Tommy Wolford of South Williamson, KY works for Alpha Natural Resources’ Northern Kentucky Unit. 

We appreciate all that our members do at home as well as abroad.

Show Your Support for Kentucky Coal 

Save the Dates:  June 5 in Frankfort and June 7 in Pikeville

Background: 

At the request of the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, the United States EPA will conduct hearings in Frankfort on June 5 and in Pikeville on June 7, regarding EPA’s specific objections to 36 individual KPDES permits that would authorize discharges from new or expanded surface coal mining activities in eastern Kentucky.

Three workplace safety and health experts will lead a research foundation formed by Alpha Natural Resources as part of a settlement agreement following the Upper Big Branch Mine accident.  U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin, who worked out the deal with Alpha, said the foundation will be led by Keith Heasley of WVU, David Karmis of Virginia Tech and David Wegman of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

The company will provide $48 million in funds for independent research for improving coal mine safety and health.  This panel will oversee the use and expenditure of these funds.