The Friends of Coal’s monthly “Coal Seam” television show just wrapped up another taping with guest Jason Bostic, vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association as the guest. Bostic and Coal Seam Host Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the WVCA, discussed the EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions standards and their impact on the nation’s electric grid. Be sure to tune in to the show on your local public access television channel or at:   http://www.librarycommission.wv.gov/programs/ltn/videoserver/Pages/coalseam.aspx

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 – 20^th 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 for ticket, sponsorship, schedule and general information on this three-day weekend event.

The Friends of Coal social media platform managed by the West Virginia Coal Association has now passed the 65,000 fan mark. When you add in the independent Friends of Coal Kentucky and Friends of Coal Wyoming sites, the total Friends of Coal footprint exceeds 100,000 fans.  During the past 30 days, the WVCA-managed Friends of Coal social media platform has generated approximately 1 million impressions.

The West Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal launched a web-based comments tool on the EPA’s NSPS standards last month.  To date, the tool has been used to send approximately 2,200 letters directly to EPA Administrator McCarthy asking that the EPA stop its job-killing agenda.  With a little less than two weeks to go before the comments period ends, we expect to reach 3,000 letters by the end of the period.  This response is in addition to and supplements the postcard campaign we have undertaken as well as the ACCCE and Count on Coal campaigns.  You can access the tool via this link: http://www.wvcoal.com/soundoff/.

On Wednesday, MSHA announced the release of a final rule to lower the current dust standard by 25%, from 2.0 milligrams per cubic meter of air to 1.5 milligrams in all underground and surface coal mines.  Immediately, a great deal of concern was expressed by the Association, NMA and several companies for the overwhelming economic burden these rules will place on the industry with questionable resulting benefit.  MSHA’s “cherry-picking” of data to support their position while disregarding legions of contrary findings and the immense progress that has been achieved over the past decade through cooperation between the companies, miners and agencies.  Personal protective measures were not included while mandating the use of equipment that is not yet refined or available in the quantities that will be required.  While these rules seem to be, yet another, attack on the industry in the Obama administration’s War on Coal, WVCA member, Murray Energy, filed an intention to sue MSHA over the arbitrary means used in developing these rules.   The full Association statement is included below.