Friends of Coal sponsored events are as follows and would welcome participation as far as trophy presentations.

*  February 25 – Wrestling State Championships 6 – 10 p.m. – Big Sandy Arena, Huntington

*  March 10 – Girl’s Basketball State Championship 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston                                        Civic Center

*  March 17 – Boy’s Basketball State Championship – 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston                                    Civic Center

Please let the Association know if you have an interest in awarding trophies at any of these events representing the Friends of Coal.

The West Virginia Eleventh Annual CEDAR Golf Classic will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at the Twisted Gun Golf Course in Wharncliffe, West Virginia.  Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with golf beginning at 10 a.m. promptly.  Contact Bud Clapp at bud.clapp@nscorp.com for more information.

Last week’s Coal Bits listed the Kentucky CEDAR Golf Tournament.

The WV Coal Mining Institute, the WVCA and the Central Appalachian Section of SME will be held at the Stonewall Jackson Resort May 3-5, 2012.

Registration information was sent out previously via e-mail with detailed information.  If you did not receive please let us know and it will be resent.

This week, FirstEnergy announced the closing of three coal-fired power plants because of the EPA’s new tougher air pollution standards. The power stations at Albright in Preston County, Rivesville in Marion County and Willow Island in Pleasants County are shutting down, putting over 100 people out of work.

FirstEnergy said it would cost too much to update these plants with the pollution control equipment necessary to meet EPA’s rules. These are old facilities and their days were numbered, but the EPA’s new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) hastened their demise.

The closings are a tough blow for those communities; jobs are lost and tax revenue from the utilities will dry up.