According to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly production report, year-to-date U.S. metallurgical exports for February 2014 were up 3.4% as compared to the February last year (5.5mt v. 5.3mt) and steam coal exports were off by 0.7% (3.27mt v. 3.3mt). Coal imports were up by 51% from last year for the same month (0.583mt v. 0.385mt).

West Virginia’s 2014 year-to-date production, through 4/26, was down 0.5% statewide when compared to the same period in 2013 (38mt v. 38.2mt), with northern WV production down 0.3% (13.8mt v. 13.9mt) and southern WV was off 0.5% (24.1mt v. 24.3mt). U.S. year-to-date production through 4/26 was down 0.5% (313.8mt v. 315.2mt). There were 117,562 railroad cars loaded last week in the United States.

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting its first golf tournament on Friday, June 20th at the White Oak Country Club, 1206 Summerlee Road, Oak Hill, WV.

For more information and/or registration information contact:  dcorcoran@beavercoal.com

The American coal industry is accusing the Obama administration of using the Environmental Protection Agency to end the use of coal despite the president's claim of having an "all of the above" energy policy.

Earlier this year, the EPA issued its Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which the agency said will eliminate 90 percent of mercury and acid gas released into the air by coal-fired power plants.

WVDEP is seeking comment on the scope of the administrative rules the agency will promulgate to implement SB 373. Comments must be submitted by May 15, 2014. The comments can be submitted either by email to Scott.G.Mandirola@wv.gov or via regular U.S. mail to:

Scott G. Mandirola, Director

DEP Division of Water and Waste Management

601 57th Street, SE

Charleston, WV 25304

Former WV Coal Association Chairman of the Board, Andrew Jordon, along with longtime coal industry executives, Ron Stovash and Pete Lilly, are being inducted into the WV Coal Hall of Fame this coming Thursday evening, May 8, 2014, as part of the annual Joint Meeting of the West Virginia Coal Association, the WV Coal Mining Institute and the CAS/SME.

The meeting will be held on May 7-9 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, WV.  The agenda and registration information can be obtained from the WVCA offices by e-mailing:  sdavison@wvcoal.com.