The annual Rocket Boys Festival will be held Oct. 4-6 in Beckley. The event celebrates the lives of the four original “Rocket Boys” whose story was told in the award-winning movie, “October Sky.” This year’s event will begin October 4with a screening of the film at 9 am in the Governor Hulett C. Smith Theatre at Tamarack. Later that day Rocket Boy Homer Hickam, whose book was turned into the movie, will host a writer’s workshop at the facility. At 7:30 a concert featuring Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys will be held at the Woodrow Wilson Auditorium in Beckley.  Friends of Coal Spokesmen, Coach Don Nehlen and Coach Bobby Pruett will also participate in this year’s event.

SOUTH CHARLESTON – The Friends of Coal spent a great day at the South Charleston location of Cabela’s Saturday, August 31, celebrating Coal Miner Appreciation Day.

West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton, Sen. Art Kirkendoll (D-Logan) and bow expert Frank Addington, Jr. were on hand to greet the shoppers at the store along with staff from the Friends of Coal organization.

Charleston, WV (Aug. 15, 2013) – According to information released by the West Virginia Division of Commerce in February, West Virginia coal exports grew by 40 percent last year, increasing from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.4 billion in 2012. West Virginia coal accounted for 49 percent of U.S. coal exports in 2012.

 

The West Virginia Coal Forum – an organization representing both labor and management in the coal industry – and co-host West Liberty University will conduct a meeting to discuss the significance of coal exports to our state and national economies from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15 at West Liberty University’s Highland Energy Center, located in Triadelphia, West Virginia (near the Cabela’s retail store).

The following is an update schedule for the WVCA’s Speakers Bureau – will become a weekly update as in the “Events” section below.

DATE	PLACE	SPEAKER
SEPTEMBER
11th	Bluefield Coal Show	B. Raney
23rd	Platts Coal Marketing Days	B. Raney

Three coal-related administrative rules were recently filed with the Legislature for consideration during the 2014 Regular Session.  WV DEP filed its final Water Quality Standards Rule that includes revisions to the standards for beryllium (from .0077 ug/l to 4 ug/l) and aluminum (conversion to a hardness based standard with no special restrictions for trout streams).  The changes to the water quality standards rule are currently operating as an emergency rule that was filed in March 2013.