Press
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WV Gazette
GLEN JEAN, W.Va. -- The head man at West Virginia's New River Gorge National River park minces no words when it comes to the sprawling Boy Scout center being developed nearby.
"This is absolutely a game-changer for West Virginia, and also for the New River Gorge area," said Don Striker, the park's superintendent.
Developers of the Summit Bechtel Family National Scouting Reserve expect it to attract roughly 100,000 people a year to the gorge. Striker expects the influx of visitors to dramatically raise the park's profile.
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Wheeling News-Register
WHEELING - Rep. Shelley Moore Capito has joined a Republican initiative to "heat up" efforts toward a national energy policy.
Capito, R-W.Va., recently stood with Republican leaders to announce the creation of "HEAT," the House Energy Action Team.
HEAT members plan to push the American Energy Initiative - the GOP's version of a national energy policy - which has three goals, according to Capito. She said HEAT hopes to stop government policies driving up gas prices; to expand American energy production to lower costs and create more jobs; and to promote an "all of the above" strategy to increase use of all forms of American energy.
- Parent Category: News
Are you a Friend of Coal? Are you one of the 63,000 West Virginia families whose livelihood depends on coal? Let the world know how important coal is to you and your family! Sign up for your Friends of Coal official license plate today.
The first issued by the State of West Virginia in any color other than white, the Friends of Coal license plate is black, with white lettering and a Friends of Coal logo prominently displayed on the left side of the plate.
If you have already ordered your license plate, then please pass the application along to your friends and family. Companies can submit multiple applications by completing a form for each vehicle and submitting one check with the $70 fee for each vehicle.
If you need additional applications or have any questions please give Sandi a call at 304.342.4153 or e-mail to: sdavison@wvcoal.com
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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.
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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. “
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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
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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
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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