MORGANTOWN --- WVCA Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton continued the Association’s public outreach efforts regarding the EPA’s GHG regulations and their impact on West Virginia with two events this week in the northern part of the state.

On June 4, Hamilton spoke to about 60 people at the Moundsville Rotary meeting. Then on June 5, Hamilton spoke to about 100 more at the Morgantown Rotary meeting. The events received good media coverage coming on the heels of the EPA’s announcement of its new existing source regulations this week.

CHARLESTON – The EPA and the Obama Administration announced their new GHG regulations on existing sources in Washington, DC this past Monday morning.

The regulations, which will force existing sources to slash emissions of CO2 by 30 percent from 2005 emissions, by 2030 will force even more coal-fired power plants to close.

Taken together with the recently passed standards on new sources, the threat is that coal’s share of the electric generation market in the U.S. could decrease to approximately 30 percent and putting potentially hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work.

The 21^st West Virginia Coal Festival is set for June 17 thru June 21 in downtown Madison.  This year’s event will feature top-notch entertainers, a parade, miner’s memorial service, mine equipment exhibits, fireworks, carnival, beauty pageant and many other events.

Entertainment line-up:  June 19, Matt Stillwell & 7 Bridges; June 20, Rick Huckaby & LITTLE TEXAS; and, June 21, Autumn Blair & Katie Ohh.

Jack Owens and his "Days of Gold" tour with Kellie Pickler will headline this year's Friends of Coal Auto Fair, which is set for July 18 - 20th at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex in Beckley.  The Fair will again feature the car show, carnival rides, food, vendors, live music, special performance and surprise guests with upwards of 50,000 people from all over the country attending.  Visit the website:  www.friendsofcoalautofair.com<http://www.friendsofcoalautofair.com> for ticket, sponsorship, schedule and general information on this three-day weekend event.

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting its first golf tournament on Friday, June 20^th at the White Oak Country Club, 1206 Summerlee Road, Oak Hill, WV.  For more information and/or registration information contact:  dcorcoran@beavercoal.com