WVCA’s Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton presented testimony at the MSHA’s public hearing on Proposed Rule on Proximity Detection Systems for Continuous Mining Machines in Underground Coal Mines last week.  The hearing was conducted by Greg Wagner, MSHA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary

Hamilton discussed issues and concerns with the proposed timeline for refitting continuous miners with proximity detectors and advised of the work done by the WV Mine Safety Technology Task Force and encouraged MSHA to coordinate the development of this rule with the State.  He also used the hearing as an opportunity to express concern over the agencies position and reluctance to approve extended-cut remote controlled mining plans in order to minimize unnecessary repeated exposure to moving equipment underground.

Full WVCA testimony as well as testimony presented by Brian Thompson of Joy Global is available from WVCA by contacting Chris Hamilton at chamilton@wvcoal.com

Bill made a presentation to the North Carolina Coal Institute in Southern Pines, NC last Wednesday evening.  WV DEP Secretary Randy Huffman, Terry Sammons and a representative of the Corps of Engineers were on the following morning’s program.    

Friends of Coal spokesman Coach Don Nehlen will speak to a Chesapeake Energy Safety Meeting on Tuesday, October 25^th in Teays Valley.  He will also make a presentation to the combined Princeton/Bluefield Rotary Clubs on Friday, October 28^th in Princeton. 

We are coordinating a tour for students from a Marshall University Geography Class at Pritchard Mining’s operation on Tuesday, October 25^th in Kanawha County. 

Coach Nehlen and Coach Pruett will participate in the Southern regional meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on November 15^th in Beckley.

Chris and Jason will film this month’s edition of The Coal Seam on WV Public Broadcasting’s Library Channel on Tuesday, October 25^th in Charleston.  Topics will include the recent DC Circuit Court decision regarding EPA’s illegal rulemaking, developments pertaining to WV’s alternative bonding program and the Special Reclamation Fund, as well as the Association’s participation in Thursday’s Congressional Coal Caucus meeting in Washington. 

More than 100 teams from 13 states competed in the 2011 National Mine Rescue, First-Aid, Bench and Preshift Competition at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio which was held in early October.

Teams from West Virginia fared very well in the event including taking third, eighth and eleventh in the overall competition results. First and Fourth in the Combination Competition results and six teams in the top ten of the First Aid competition. 

Selected results from the National Mine Rescue, First Aid, Bench, and Preshift Contest, Columbus, Ohio held October 3 - 6, 2011:

Mine Rescue Competition Final Results
#3 Patriot Coal – Magnum Madison, WV captain Travis Lett
#8 Cliffs - Pinnacle Mining Co. - Pinnacle Blue Team - Pineville, WV captain Chad Lester
#11 Alpha Natural Resources - Southern WV Team Naoma, WV captain Tommy Dove

Combination Competition Final Results
#1 Patriot Coal Magnum captains Travis Lett & Britt Crouse
#4 Alpha Natural Resources Southern WV Naoma, WV Team captains Tommy Dove &   Dave Green

First Aid Competition Results
#3 Patriot Coal Magnum Madison, WV team captain Britt Crouse
#5 Alpha Natural Resources Southern WV Team Naoma, WV Team Captain Dave Green
#6 Eastern Associated Coal, LLC Federal No. 2 Fairview, WV Team Captain John Sabo 
#7 Patriot Coal Southern Appalachia Wharton, WV team captain Jon Castle
#8 Eastern Associated Coal, LLC Federal No. 2 Fairview, WV team captain Justin Scott
#10 Patriot Coal Magnum Madison, WV team captain Travis Lett

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary is excited to announce the opening of their new website www.friendsofcoalladiesaux.com which includes an online store. The website gives an in-depth view of the many projects the FOC Ladies Auxiliary is involved with to further enhance the public’s support and continued dedication in educating our citizens about the benefits of the coal industry.   The FOC Ladies Auxiliary also invites you to browse their new online store and hopes you will find that perfect gift for your company, employees, family and friends!

W.Va. freshman’s compromise legislation passes with bipartisan support

Washington, D.C. – A jobs bill (H.R. 2273) authored by Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV), which for the first time sets minimum federal guidelines regulating coal ash while empowering the states to enforce them, passed the House Friday with overwhelming bipartisan support. McKinley’s legislation, which a Veritasstudy found could protect up to 316,000 jobs from being eliminated, was approved 267-144, with 37 Democrats voting yes. The Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward Jr. today noted that the question of how to regulate coal ash has been “a long simmering issue ignored by many policymakers” – until now.

Rep. McKinley made the following statement about H.R. 2273 on the House floor today:

“Every day coal ash is produced in nearly 700 coal-fired generating plants in 48 of the 50 states in America. Approximately 140 tons are produced annually with 40% of that coal ash being beneficially recycled. Over the years, scientists and entrepreneurs have found uses for coal ash through a variety of recycling options. Businesses were emboldened to recycle the material after two studies by the EPA in 1993 and in 2000 found that coal ash is not a hazardous material and could be used by the public. The findings of these two studies specifically state that there have been no documented cases of coal ash damaging human health or the environment. As a result industries have sprung up all across America and thousands of jobs have been created by recycling coal ash.