The Friends of Coal continued their outreach efforts with the following events:

    ·  Drafted for review two 30-second radio spots for the Friends of Coal Bowl September 4^th.

• • Friends of Coal assisted in the production of an August 15^th edition of “Mining the Issues,” a radio show hosted by Rick Abraham on WVOW Radio in Logan.
  • Taped a new episode of “The Coal Seam” for the West Virginia Library Television Network Tuesday, August 23.
  • Production of “Coal Facts 2011” is beginning. Companies interested in advertising in the publication should contact Sandi Davison at 304-342-4153 or email her at sdavison@wvcoal.com.  Distribution is tentatively set for late November.

In addition, the Friends of Coal continue to solicit opportunities to take the message of coal to the public. If your organization would like to have a representative of Friends of Coal as a speaker, or if you would like to have an informational table at an event, please contactsdavison@wvcoal.com or call us at 304.342.4153.

The North American Coalbed Methane Forum will hold its Fall Session November 8-9, 2011 at the Hilton Garden Inn in South Pointe near Canonsburg, PA.  The Forum will consist of presentations covering technical aspects of coalbed methane development and production.  Fracing and frac water disposal of Marcellus shale will also be presented.

By attending the session you will be eligible for 6.0 professional development hours (PDH) as mandated by the law.  For additional information contact:

Ihor Havryluk at 412/445-5803(havryluk@zoominternet.net) or  Dr. Kashy Aminian at304/293-3964 (kaminian@wvu.edu).

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The state Commerce Department says coal fueled a 43% increase in West Virginia exports in the first six months of the year.
West Virginia's exports rose from $3.1 billion in the first six months of 2010 to $4.4 billion in the same period this year. The U.S. growth rate was 18%.
Coal accounted for $2.6 billion of West Virginia's total. Plastics was second with $575.1 million in exports.
West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney tells the Charleston Daily Mail (http://bit.ly/nna6VO ) that the latest figures are good news for everyone in West Virginia.

http://www.wvva.com/story/15331082/wva-exports-up-43-in-first-half-of-year

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ & AP) -- In a report released Wednesday by the Associated Press, Boone County will receive the most money from the coal severance reallocations.

The bill, signed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin Monday, will increase coal severance tax revenue by 1percent per year for the next five years.

The counties who do the most coal mining will get the most money.

The AP reports that Boone County is projected to receive about $3.3 million by 2017.

Marshall County is expected to receive about $2.5 million by the end of the five-year phase-in.

Logan County is third on the list, projected to receive about $2.3 million by the end of that period.

By Shari A. Stout

While searching for the catalog numbers for mining lamps, a collection manager discovered an impressive photo archive shot in 1884

As a collection manager at the National Museum of American History, I often have access to things no one else gets to see, including the mining collection, one of the oldest at the Smithsonian. Recently, I worked with a team to inventory thousands of objects in the museum's Division of Work and Industry. In the process, I cataloged hundreds of mining lamps.