BLUEFIELD -- The West Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal will be attending the Bluefield Coal Show on September 16-18 at the Brushfork Armory on Bramwell Road. The annual event continues to grow and today is considered one of the major regional shows in the U.S. Recent shows featured approximately 240 exhibitors displaying first-hand what the future holds in the way of equipment and new innovative technologies being developed in the coal industry. We hope you will join us and show your support for the state’s leading industry at the 2015 Bluefield Coal Show on September 16, 17, and 18. Registration forms are available at http://www.bluefieldchamber.com/bluefield-coal-show.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – The West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce has elected former two-time West Virginia Coal Association Chairman Andrew Jordon as its new board chairman for the 2015-2017 term. The Chamber announced the selection at its annual Business Summit held earlier this week at the Greenbrier.

The three-day meeting included the state’s largest gathering of business, education and policy leaders.

CHARLESTON – The Association today sent a request for an extension of the comment periods for OSM’s proposed Stream Buffer Zone Rule. Following is the letter.

September 5, 2015

The Honorable Sally Jewell, Secretary

United States Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, N.W.

Washington, DC   20240

Dear Secretary Jewell,

On behalf of the members of the West Virginia Coal Association who are responsible for approximately ninety-five percent of West Virginia’s annual coal production and approximately 65,000 direct and indirect jobs in the State, we request a 120-day extension of the comment period on the proposed rule published by your Office of Surface Mining (OSM) on July 27, 2015 at 80 Fed. Reg. 44436, regarding stream buffer zones.

SOUTH CHARLESTON – West Virginia Coal Association Vice President Jason Bostic provided an overview of the 3,000+ page rewrite of the federal mining regulations proposed by the Office of Surface Mining as the Stream Protection Rule.

The presentation focused on the most problematic issues with the rule, such as the potential impact on underground mining operations and the inclusion un-codified water quality standards with the mining permits.

CHARLESTON - The September episode of the West Virginia Coal Association’s Coal Seam television show is now on the air. The special guest was Senate President and Lt. Governor Bill Cole, who discussed the issues related to the President’s Carbon and Mercury Rules and their impact on the future of coal in the state – focusing specifically on what the state can do on its own to help the industry compete while continuing to push back on the Obama Administration’s regulatory assault.

Cole also discussed the 2016 Legislative Agenda, saying that a big part of the upcoming session would be focused on tax reform and other means to help state businesses compete.

The Coal Seam is available on your local public access cable channel, including Suddenlink Channel 17 in the southern part of the state. Check your local listings for the dates and times.