The Summersville Chamber of Commerce and Rotary will join with the Friends of Coal to host a Business/Coal Forum Tuesday, September 29 at the Summersville Armory. This forum will feature an up-to-date discussion by prominent business and coal officials of relevant issues impacting area businesses.  Join us to understand issues such as Cap and Trade legislation, EPA's action on new mining permits, severance taxes, and issues surrounding Mountaintop Mining Practices. The event will begin at 5 p.m. It will feature a wide range of guest speakers including representatives of the industry, state and local elected officials, union officials and others. Former WVU and Marshall football coaches Don Nehlen and Bob Pruett will be on hand as well.

This week, EIA reported that U.S. metallurgical exports for July were down only 1.3%, as compared to July of last year.  Also, comparing July 09 to July 08, steam exports were off by more than 55% while imported coal was down by 21%.  Year-to-date comparisons of 2009 to 2008 for the period of January through July, showed metallurgical exports off by 27%, steam exports down by 38% and imports off by 28%.

MSHA’s second quarter report of U.S. production shows there were 1,157 coal mines with some production of coal.  Of this total, 322 (28%) were publicly-owned and accounted for 75% of the production, while 835 (72%) were privately held and produced 25% of the year’s output.  Nationwide, in the second quarter of 2009, 68.7% of production came from surface mines with the remaining 31.3% being underground mined.

EIA’s preliminary release of the Annual Coal Report 2008 shows that the U.S. has more than 261 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, about 235 years at today’s consumption rate of 1.1 billion tons annually.  America has more coal reserves than any other country, with 27% of the world’s reserve base.

Preliminary information recently released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), documents the important role coal plays in promoting America’s economic strength through the provision of a large, affordable and readily available supply of energy.  The data show 2008 U.S. coal production at a record level of approximately 1.17 billion short tons, up 2.2 percent from 2007. Fifty-eight percent of production was from the West and 42 percent from the East. The number of mines increased from 1,374 in 2007 to 1,458 in 2008, a 6 percent increase. The average sales price per ton was $31.26, up 21 percent from the previous year.

In an apparent confirmation of the potentially heavy costs of pending climate change legislation, an internal U.S. Department of the Treasury memo last week conceded that a cap and trade law could cost American taxpayers up to $200 billion a year. At that upper end, said Treasury officials, the per household cost could rise to $1,761 annually – equivalent to a 15 percent tax increase! The memo was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by a conservative think tank and the Obama Administration dismissed the memo as "unofficial."  Activist groups argued the analysis did not weigh benefits from slower global warming.

Last week, Governor Manchin told a U.S. Chamber of Commerce meeting in Washington, that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology deserves a financial commitment commensurate with coal’s 50 percent share of the U.S. electricity market.  He said, "If 50 percent of the energy is produced by coal, then proportionately, there should be that type of effort going back" into CCS technology development.”  He called for, “monies collected through carbon credits or carbon taxes should help finance CCS technology projects.”  Governor Manchin, the incoming chairman of the Southern States Energy Board, joined with Senator Rockefeller in calling on Congress to step up funding for the development of CCS technologies that will provide sustainable energy and employment. Manchin warned that cap and trade would add substantial costs to coal use, and would "drive down our industrial jobs."

The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training announced on Thursday that all 180 underground mines that were required to have an approved emergency shelter within 1,000’ of the working face are in compliance.  More than 300 shelters are in place across the State.  In a similar note, a nationwide survey recently completed by NMA, indicated the industry has spent more than $800 million to comply with the requirements of the MINER Act of 2006.  According to the survey, $91 million was spent for more than 150,000 new self-contained self-rescuers (SCSR) and 907 emergency shelters cost $90 million.  Sealing of all abandoned areas, as required by the law, cost $89 million, and $86 million has been spent on tracking systems and related Emergency Response Plans.

Both underground mines and coal suppliers have been removed from the final rule on source categories required to report their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to EPA. The September 22 rule is designed to inform EPA of emissions from major domestic sources. The agency said it may ask for additional sources to report at a later time pending further review of comments and reporting options. An estimated 85 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions from about 10,000 facilities are covered under the rule. Since downstream users of coal would be included in the reporting requirements, NMA had argued that including coal operations would amount to double counting of emissions. The final rule is posted on EPA’s website but has not yet been published in the Federal Register.

W.Va. man on verge of bass fishing Super Bowl
Top five finish this weekend will send Charleston native to pro fishing event in Ala.
Daily Mail staff
Courtesy photo
 
Charleston native Jeremy Starks, seen with his Bass Cat fishing boat sponsored by Friends of Coal, is set to compete this weekend in Sandusky, Ohio, for a shot a the 2010 Bassmaster Classic in February.
 
NASCAR's top drivers have started the Chase, the series to determine the stock car racing league's champion.
 
It's similar for bass fisherman Jeremy Starks, who is preparing for the windy challenges of Lake Erie as he gears up for the Northern Open 3, in Sandusky, Ohio, this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
 

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Guest Speaker – J. Michael Onifer, VP Established Business Units, CNX Gas
Brass Tree Restaurant, Williamson, WV

Social hour 6-7, Dinner 7
Dinner - $10 if you have not pre-paid
RSVP to Georgene Robertson 304/792-8433 or (grobertson@archcoal.com)

Many of you attended the “Friends of America” festival in Holden. More than 75,000 of you turned out to show your support for our coal miners despite the threat of rain, thunder and lightning. That takes a lot of dedication.
As Ted Nugent said, however, showing up at a rally is the easy part. Taking action the next day … contacting your elected officials, your congressmen, your senators and Mr. Obama … is the real test.

I am asking you to take that next step today!

Please take a few moments to make those calls or send an email to your elected officials. We have made it easy for you.

Below you will find a list of West Virginia officials and their phone numbers. You will also find a list of email addresses for those same officials. Simply pick up the phone and dial the numbers or cut-and-paste the email list into your “send to” bar.  We have also included a sample letter. Simply cut-and-paste it into the body of your email and add your name and phone number.
Let them know you support our coal miners! Let them know you oppose cap-and-tax! Let them know you want the backlog of mining permits released so that our people can mine coal. Let them know YOU ARE A FRIEND OF AMERICA! And let them know YOU ARE A FRIEND OF COAL!

There is no time to waste. Your jobs and the jobs of your family and friends … the very future of our state … depend on you!

Sample Letter

Dear __________________,

As one of your constituents, I am writing to let you know how I feel about the issues facing our country today.
I am worried about our future.

The actions of the Obama Administration and the policies it is pursuing – particularly with regard to cap-and-tax and coal mining – are simply dead wrong. They are hurting my family, my friends and my neighbors. Unless something is done to stop them, they will destroy my community and our state.  Honestly, I am afraid for our nation and our way of life.

I am asking you to oppose cap-and-tax and to demand that the Obama Administration stop its attack on the coal industry.  We can’t afford the increases in our electric bills that will come with cap-and-tax!  We can’t afford to keep subsidizing terrorists and their supporters in the oil producing countries by importing their oil.

We need coal! We need it today more than ever and the Obama Administration and its supporters on Capitol Hill are killing the industry and shipping the jobs overseas.

I am asking that you stand up for our state and our people.  Tell Pelosi, Reid and Obama to support West Virginia Coal and West Virginia coal miners. 

Yours,

YOUR NAME and PHONE NUMBER
______________________________

Permit delays could mean layoffs and mine closures

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today’s decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withhold 79 pending coal mine permits is a reckless act that coupled with the agency’s decision earlier this week to re-evaluate a two-year old permit, will jeopardize jobs and further restrict West Virginia production.

Facility prime example of using former surface mine lands for economic development

By Chris Hamilton
Chairman, Coalition for Mountaintop Mining

VARNEY, W.Va. – The dedication of the Mingo County Air Transportation Park in southern West Virginia this past week is a prime example of the value of our surface mine lands in the effort to build and diversify the economy of the Appalachian coalfields.

Friends of America Festival brings 100,000 to mountaintop mine site
Organizers call on mining families to oppose Obama’s assault on coal and America’s economy
 
HOLDEN – They came early and stayed late. They came despite the threat of heavy rain, thunder and lightning. They came because they support the coal industry. They came because they are patriots and care deeply about the future of their country. They came from as far away as Alaska and Europe to let their voices be heard by an American president and a radical Congress trying rob them of their heritage, their jobs and their way of life.

Almost 100,000 people – mostly working coal miners and their families – turned out Monday for the Labor Day “Friends of America” rally at the old Holden 22 mountaintop mine site near Logan, W.Va. The event featured legendary guitarist Ted “the Motor City Madman” Nugent as emcee and Hank Williams, Jr., John Rich (formerly of Big and Rich), Halfway to Hazzard, Taylor Made and the Blackwater Outlaws as musical guests. Also on hand were Fox News commentator and talk radio host Sean Hannity and Lord Christopher Monckton, a  science advisor to Margaret Thatcher, a former British prime minister.  Monckton is an outspoken critic of global warming theorists.

By BRIAN WOODSON 

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — Is it possible to use a football game as inspiration for a state whose most important natural resource is under attack.  
 
Why not? Who would have expected Marshall to win the GMAC Bowl in 2001, trailing 38-8 at halftime.  
 
How about the Thundering Herd themselves?  
 

By BRIAN WOODSON 

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEFIELD — Bob Pruett is a friend of coal. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same, and that worries the former Marshall football coach.  
 
“Right now the coal industry is under attack, it really is, it is under attack,” said Pruett, who served as the guest speaker for the Bluefield Rotary Club on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn. “I am not a political person, I’m really not, I’m not running for office. 

Aug. 09, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal 

Political climate for energy policies cools

Poll: Economy outweighs environment

By JENNIFER ROBISON
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Monday's National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 will bring a parade of celebrated public policy experts to Las Vegas to discuss greening the country's economy.

PATH is a joint venture between Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power (AEP) to build a new, high voltage, interstate transmission line that will go through West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.

At the recommendation of the Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification, Director Ron Wooten announced his intentions to “withdraw” the proposed Rules Governing the Safety of Those Employed In and Around Preparation Plants in West Virginia.  The rules were proposed on June 30th and a public hearing was scheduled for this past Thursday, July 30th.
 
The training board objected to the training and certification provisions contained in the proposed rule on the basis that the proposed rule usurped their authority under law and due to the Board not being consulted or involved in the rule making.