Press
- Parent Category: News
Charleston – Four of the true pioneers of the state’s coal industry were inducted into the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame during ceremonies during a ceremony May 6 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston.
Those being inducted were: former Pocahontas Land Company President Robert “Bob” Raines; the late Johnson C. McKinley, a pioneer of the northern coalfields region of West Virginia; Purnal “Judge” McWhorter of McWhorter & Associates, LLC, formerly of Phillips Machine Services, and the late J. Robert Fletcher, of J.H. Fletcher& Co.
“This is the highest honor our industry can bestow,” said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. “This award is given to people who devote a lifetime of service to our industry and our state. I am so proud to be able to say I know these gentlemen and count them as friends. They are gentlemen in every sense of the word. They embody the very best of our industry. Their lives of hard work, commitment to excellence and commitment to the state and its people truly light the way for the rest of us to follow.”
The Coal Hall of Fame was established in 1993 and is jointly sponsored by the West Virginia Coal Association, the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute and the West Virginia Mining and Reclamation Association. The first class was inducted in 1998.
- Parent Category: News
First deliveries of the new state-issued plates will be in the mail next week
CHARLESTON – Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin officially delivered the first batch of the new state-issued Friends of Coal license plates during a May 6 presentation in Charleston. The plate, the first in the state’s history to be any color other than white, is black with white lettering and a white Friends of Coal logo on the left side. Tomblin unveiled the plate during the joint spring meeting of the West Virginia Coal Association and the West Virginia Mining Institute.
“I hope these plates will be an ambassador of the state and of the state’s coal industry,” Tomblin said, adding that he hopes it makes people from other states take a moment to think about the importance of the coal industry and the hard work that goes into keeping America’s lights burning.
Warren Hylton, of Patience Coal and one of the founders of Friends of Coal, was presented with the first plate. Also receiving plates were former Marshall University Head Football Coach Bobby Pruett and former West Virginia University Head Football Coach Don Nehlen, WVCA Chairman Gary White and Association President Bill Raney among others.
“This is a fitting tribute to our working coal miners,” Raney said, “and to every one of those 63,000 West Virginians who work in the state’s coal industry. “
- Parent Category: News
ST. LOUIS, May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Patriot Coal Corporation (NYSE: PCX) announced that it received the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative award, presented today by the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources during annual Arbor Day events. The award was presented for the reclamation of a former surface mine in western Ohio County, near the communities of Rockport and Echols.
"In this project, the entire area was reclaimed into fish and wildlife post-mining land use. Substantial amounts of native and western grasses were incorporated into the re-vegetation plans, and over 200,000 trees and shrubs were planted to establish wildlife food and shelter areas," stated Patriot Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charles A. Ebetino, Jr. "The reclaimed area is used by hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts, and has also been visited by academic groups to observe and study the success of native grasses, reforestation and the repopulation of wildlife species. By thoughtfully incorporating grasses and wildlife that are native to this area, we have furthered our Company's mission to be a good steward of the land in the communities where we operate."
- Parent Category: News
By Jim Ross
High prices in coal used to make steel is the driving force behind recent company mergers and acquisitions.
The market for metallurgical coal used to make steel may not be as big as the market for coal used in power plants, but it's where the money is going.
Interest in metallurgical, or met, coal, which has seen significant price increases in recent months, was the driving force behind three large mergers in the American coal industry in recent months, including this week's announcement by St. Louis-based Arch Coal that is buying Scott Depot-based International Coal Group,or ICG. But West Virginia has seen renewed interest in met coal for several years as foreign steel producers have brought met coal reserves and mines.
"We have had a lot of inquiries from foreign buyers - China, Europe, India - that are wanting to buy producers of coal," said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Company.
For more, click herehttp://statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98834
- Parent Category: News
Alpha Engineering is sponsoring the two-day seminar on Mine Surveying and Mapping again this year on May 18-19 and Advance Ventilation on May 20. With the Miner Act and other initiatives from MSHA and the States, as well as recent court decisions, we are certain have an abundance of material to discuss. This is not only for PE's and PS's -- we usually have several persons who do the field surveying, CAD and mapping work in attendance along with some Agency people.
For More Information:
Gary M. Hartsog, PE & PS(SU)
Alpha Engineering Services, Inc.
Beckley, WV USA -- 304-255-4131
- Parent Category: News
BECKLEY -- The West Virginia Coal Association, which represents companies that employ tens of thousands of state residents and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to our economy, endorsed Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in the May 14 Democratic Primary.
Gary White, chairman of the association that represents 90 percent of the coal producers in West Virginia, said selecting Tomblin was an easy decision.
“Gov. Tomblin is a son of the coalfields. He knows coal and West Virginia’s 63,000 coal mining families are in a very real sense his family,” White said. “He knows how important it is to have a job, to pay your bills and provide for your children. He has always stood with us … not just as a ‘friend’ of coal but as one of us.
Read more: West Virginia Coal Association endorses Earl Ray Tomblin
- Parent Category: News
The Friends of Coal and the West Virginia Coal Association join in urging everyone to exercise their rights and vote in the upcoming May 14 special gubernatorial primary election.
As much of the rest of the country struggles with multi-billion dollar deficits and unemployment rates approaching 10 percent, West Virginia has managed to balance its budget and keep its people working. Strong, effective leadership on the part of the governor and the Legislature, combined with the state’s coal industry have made this possible.
However our coal industry is under threat from an out-of-control Washington bureaucracy. This makes it even more important for us to choose leaders who will continue to put West Virginia first – who will step up to the plate and defend our state’s bedrock industry.
If you are registered to vote, please vote on May 14. If you aren’t registered, you must register before April 25th if you plan to vote. If you are registered and may be out of town on May 14, check with your county clerk about their early voting options in accordance with the following schedule:
Last day to register to vote is April 25, 2011. For information on registering to vote, please click here.
Early voting period will take place April 29th through May 11th (including Saturdays)
Absentee ballot request deadline is May 9th
Primary Election is May 14th.
- Parent Category: News
Here in West Virginia, coal mining isn’t just a way of living – it’s a way of life. It pays bills, lights homes and feeds families, and it also is a binding source of pride for those who work in it, know it, and respect it. I am one of those proud West Virginians – I always will be. And I will always fight for our miners, our jobs, and our economic future.
Read more: Coal mining isn’t just a way of living – it’s a way of life - Senator Jay Rockefeller
- Parent Category: News
CHARLESTON -- Governor Tomblin has named the week of April 18-22 as Coal Education Week in West Virginia. As part of the observance of Coal Education Week, the West Virginia Coal Association is launching a new section of its website dedicated to Coal Education. You can access the sites at HERE. In addition, you can access more resources for educators at the CEDAR of Southern West Virginia website HERE.