Research & Development

Court Rules Mine Waste Pits Are Not Point Sources

January 27, 2011

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court has ruled that waste rock pits that collect water from mining are not a point source under the Clean Water Act. In its ruling in the Greater Yellowstone Coalition et al v. Lewis et al. the court said federal agencies were correct in not requiring a permit for a planned expansion of a phosphate mine in southeast Idaho.

The court ruled that “pits that collect the waste rock do not constitute point sources within the meaning of the Act.” The mine pits include a storm water cover system that diverts water from the pits and requires a Sec. 401 permit, said the court, hence the Bureau of Land Management acted properly in not requiring a secondary permit for the refuse pits.

2011 Symposium Schedule

January 27, 2011

38^TH ANNUAL WEST VIRGINIA MINING SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM

FEBRUARY 2 – 4, 2011

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN START-UP TIME FOR WORKSHOPS

Registration Form below

WEDNESDAY – FEBRUARY 2, 2011

8 a.m. Registration

HEALTH & SAFETY WORKSHOP AGENDA

9 a.m. WV Mine Safety Update

C. A. Phillips, Director

Joe Watts, Administrator

WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training

10 a.m. MSHA Mine Safety & Enforcement Trends

Bob E. Cornett, MSHA District 3 Manager

Robert Hardman, MSHA District 4 Manager

10:45 a.m. Evaluation of Dust Concentrations Using Deep-Cutting Practices

Drew Potts & Jay Coilnet

NIOSH

11 a.m. MSHA 2011 “Rules to Live By”

Joe Main, Assistant Secretary

Mine Safety & Health Administration

12 noon Lunch sponsored by Jackson Kelly

1:00 p.m. Proximity Detection Devices

Jim Dean, WV Mine Safety Task Force

1:30 p.m. Safety Performance Index

Dr. Larry Grayson, Penn State University

2:00 p.m. Chilean Mine Rescue Drilling Fund

Bill Maloney, Drill Leader, LLC

2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Coal Safety Legal Forum

Litigated POV Case; MSHA’s Injunctive Relief

Mark Heath & Alex Macia – Spilman, Thomas & Battle

Accident Investigations

Dave Hardy – Allen Guthrie McHugh & Thomas

Emerging Criminal Sanctions in MSHA’s Investigations

Bill Wilmoth – Steptoe & Johnson

Deliberate Intent for Exposure to Coal Dust

Pamela Tarr – Jackson Kelly

MSHA’s “Simplified Proceedings’

Jonathan R. Ellis – Steptoe & Johnson

Federal Safety & Health Review Commission Update

Bob Beatty – Dinsmore & Shohl

5:00 p.m. Welcoming Reception

Denmark CO2 + Methane = Hydrocarbon Syngas

January 26, 2011

United States Patent: 7094363

As now accessible via:

Denmark Recycles CO2 via Syntrolysis | Research & Development | News; wherein is disclosed the:

"Co-electrolysis of CO2 and H2O in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells; June 2010; Christopher Graves, et. al.; Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Denmark;

we have already made report of developments in CO2 recycling technology arising in the nation of Denmark.

Saudi Arabia Refines Oil with WVU CoalTl Technology

January 26, 2011

http://digital.library.ksu.edu.sa/V14M168R872.pdf

We've made reference many times to West Virginia University's "West Virginia Process" for the direct liquefaction of Coal. And, as we've stated many times, our understanding of the Process is that, like a few other direct Coal liquefaction technologies we've reported to you, it relies on an hydrogenated version of the primary and long-known Coal oil, Naphthalene, which is most commonly referred to by the abbreviated form of it's more technical name, Tetralin, to effect the hydrogenation and liquefaction of raw Coal.

And, one of our more recent reports concerning WVU and their use of Tetralin is accessible via:

WVU Hydrogenates Coal Tar | Research & Development | News .

US Navy 1982 CO2 + CH4 = Hydrocarbon Syngas

January 25, 2011

United States Patent: 4347891

Since we are, today, sending along, via separate dispatch, information concerning technology developed by Chevron which would reduce energy transportation costs, by converting Coal into crude liquid hydrocarbons at facilities attached to, or nearby, remote mine sites, we see, herein, that the US Navy has addressed the same, or broadly-related, issue as it pertains to the recycling of Carbon Dioxide.

First, to re-establish some preliminaries, Carbon Dioxide can be converted into Methane, CH4, by the 1912 Nobel Prize-winning Sabatier process. And, as we have documented now from many sources, especially Penn State University, once we have Methane, we can react it with more Carbon Dioxide, in bi-reforming and tri-reforming processes, and thereby synthesize liquid hydrocarbons.

Carbon Dioxide and Water, which are the starting materials for such processes, are, of course, available nearly everywhere.