The “West Virginia Innovative Mine Safety Technology Tax Credit Act” established during the 2011 regular legislative session is now operative and a tax credit for qualifying, new mine safety technologies is available.

A copy of the application form, implementing rules and the list of qualifying mine safety technologies is available from WVCA.  The list, published by the WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training, contains the following three (3) items qualifying for the credit at the current time: (1) MSHA approved Proximity Detectors; (2) TTE Mine Communications System; and, (3) PDM – Personal Dust Monitors.

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary has a new web site and they are asking that you visit the new web site www.friendsofcoalladies.com as many times as you can.  For each time you visit, the web site moves up so when you type "coal" into your search engine the web site will be one of the top listed in your search.   The site also hosts a full store for purchase of FOC items and wearing apparel.

The Association is proud to welcome four new members this week, including   ARJ Construction Company, Inc., Lawrence Ickes as representative; IronPlanet, Chris Owens as their representative; Rajkovich, Williams, Kilpatrick & True, PLLC with Todd C. Myers; and, Mike Chasteen will represent Westech, Inc. We look forward to a long and beneficial relationship.

The West Virginia Coal Forum will host three forums acrossWest Virginia featuring Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall, Congressman David McKinley, UMWA President Cecil Roberts and others to discuss EPA’s War on Coal and, specifically, the agency’s greenhouse gas and Utility MACT proposed rules.

The meetings will be held per the following:

May 22 – Charleston’s Embassy Suites Hotel – 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. featuring Congresswoman Capito and UMWA President Roberts

May 23 – Wheeling’s Oglebay Resort – 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. featuring Congressman McKinley

May 24 – Beckley’s Country Inn & Suites/Mountaineer ConferenceCenter – 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.  featuring Congressman Rahall.

Senator Manchin will have a representative at each meeting.

Please confirm your attendance at one or all of the events by e-mailing your name, title, organization and the event you plan to attend to rsvp@wvcoalforum.org.

Today the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) published its draft listing of impaired streams that fail to meet state water quality standards and fail to meet their Clean Water Act (CWA) designated use.  Referred to as the 303(d) list, streams indentified on the list will ultimately require the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to adjust pollutant loadings (and NPDES permit effluent limits) allowing them to achieve their designated use.  Attached is the “narrative” section of the new 303(d) list document.  The entire impaired water listing and supporting information can be found at http://www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/watershed/IR/Pages/303d_305b.aspx

The 303(d) list is open for public comment until June 11, 2012.  Since NPDES permits located on streams identified as impaired can ultimately be subject to NPDES permit effluent limitation reductions through the TMDL process, PLEASE review the list in detail and consider submitting comments / data to the agency on any stream listings that may impact your operations.

Additionally, based on a cursory review of the list, it appears that several streams previously removed have been RE-ADDED to the list for the same parameters.