Homer Hickam emerged from an elevator at Consol Energy’s Robinson Run
mine Thursday afternoon wearing a white mining suit, an orange
reflective vest, a helmet and boots. Hickam, a best-selling author, his wife Linda and his fellow “Rocket
Boys” Roy Lee Cooke and Billy Rose had just finished a tour of the mine. They spent some time underground viewing the operations and safety
technology at Robinson Run, which is one of a number of coal mines that
Consol Energy operates in West Virginia. “Robinson Run has the best safety record in the company,” Thomas
Hoffman, senior vice president of external affairs for Consol, said.
“You have a mine that is performing at a high level of safety.”
Times West Virginian - February 29, 2008
MANNINGTON — Homer Hickam emerged from an elevator at Consol Energy’s Robinson Run mine Thursday afternoon wearing a white mining suit, an orange reflective vest, a helmet and boots.
Hickam, a best-selling author, his wife Linda and his fellow “Rocket Boys” Roy Lee Cooke and Billy Rose had just finished a tour of the mine.
They spent some time underground viewing the operations and safety technology at Robinson Run, which is one of a number of coal mines that Consol Energy operates in West Virginia.
“Robinson Run has the best safety record in the company,” Thomas Hoffman, senior vice president of external affairs for Consol, said. “You have a mine that is performing at a high level of safety.”
He said Consol Energy is the largest coal producer in the state. Robinson Run, which has about 500 employees, produces between 6 and 7 million tons of coal a year. The mine, started in 1968, recently underwent a $180 million renovation.
“Technology gives us sort of an extra set of eyes to monitor what’s going on ... to correct things before they become a problem,” Hoffman said.
Before entering the Robinson Run mine Thursday, Hickam and the other visitors received a safety briefing and training, including how to properly use an oxygen unit.
“We just had a great day here,” Hickam said after the tour. “I’m just so terribly impressed.
“You can sense the professionalism of this operation. What we have is a team of men and women who are dedicated to doing their job.”
Hickam has written several memoirs about his life in the mining community of Coalwood, including “Rocket Boys,” “The Coalwood Way,” “Sky of Stone” and “We are Not Afraid.”
He is currently promoting his new novel “Red Helmet,” a fictional love story set in the coalfields of West Virginia. He said this book, “dedicated to mine rescue teams everywhere,” is about today’s coal miners and was partly inspired by the Sago Mine disaster. Many of the miners at Robinson Run had copies of the book for Hickam to autograph.
Also during the visit Thursday, Hickam voiced his support for the creation of a national miner’s day. Dec. 6, 2007, marked the second annual Miner’s Day in West Virginia. Thousands of signatures have already been collected in support of a national day, Cooke said.
“I’ve joined the movement to make that happen,” Hickam said. “We’re going to move forward.”
Hickam, who comes from a long line of coal miners, said coal mining is the “backbone” of the nation’s economy and stressed the importance of the industry. He said over 50 percent of the United States’ energy requirements are derived from coal, and that number will probably increase.
“Coal has a wonderful future in this country,” he said.
Hickam recently started a scholarship at Marshall University, called the Homer Hickam Sr./Red Helmet scholarship, to benefit the children and grandchildren of miners.
Kathy Mattea had also planned to tour the Robinson Run mine, but canceled because of illness. Mattea, a county music star and West Virginia native, will soon release a new CD titled “Coal” about coal mining.
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