Press
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The goal of this project is to put a human face on the energy issue by creating a collection of life-size photographs of American coal miners, suitable for museum exhibition. These monumental portraits reveal the human essence of the coal industry and their exhibition will celebrate and honor these men and women as contemporary American heroes.
These photographs are life-size portraits from the tops of the miners helmets to the tips of their boots. Between 30 and 40 photos are taken in a grid, life-size on 8 x 10 inch film covering the entire person. Those negatives are then contact printed and assembled to create a full size person. The quality is extraordinary, as this is ultimate photographic quality the contact print. Every hair and every thread is as clear as in real life. Most of the portraits are shot in black & white and mounted on 16 gauge hot rolled steel sheets. The final pieces are almost 7 feet tall.
Source: Thorney Lieberman
- Parent Category: News
The Friends of Coal are working with the representatives of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System to tell the story of the role the coal industry played in the creation of the hugely popular trail system and the role it continues to play as the system expands across southern West Virginia. Jeff Lusk, director of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, says without the coal industry much of the trail would not be possible and that many of the existing trails incorporate former mine land and access roads used by the industry while mining was occurring. We will keep you updated as the planning continues.
- Parent Category: News
The Friends of Coal will be co-sponsoring and presenting at the 2010 West Virginia Construction and Design Expo March 24 and 25 in Charleston. The event is a major part of the annual convention season and draws more than 6,000 attendees from across the country (last year attendees were from 26 states). The event begins at 10 am each day.
- Parent Category: News
The Friends of Coal and the West Virginia Coal Association played host to another group tour by Wheeling Jesuit University this past Tuesday. This time the students were from Nebraska and were interested in getting a complete picture of the practice of mining, its economic impact on the state and the role it can play in building a new future for the people of the coalfields region.
- Parent Category: News
Legislation introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Frank Palone (D-N.J.) and in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) will severely restrict all types of coal mining, threatening thousands of high-paying coal jobs.
ACT now and urge Congress to reject the so-called "Clean Water Protection Act" (H.R. 1310) and the "Appalachian Restoration Act" (S. 696).
These bills jeopardize the future of domestic coal mining and will saddle American consumers and businesses with massive energy price hikes. Hundreds of thousands of mining jobs could be lost and many projects that help stimulate the economy will never be brought to fruition.
ACT now and urge Congress to reject misguided and ill-informed efforts to prohibit mining practices that create good American jobs and help power our homes and businesses with abundant and affordable domestic energy.
To write your members of Congress, please click here.
- Parent Category: News
Newly released data by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show West Virginia by far continues to be the leading source of coal distributed to foreign destinations.
In 2008, the most recent year for which EIA data are available, West Virginia shipped almost 26 million tons of coal, accounting for more than 39 percent of total U.S. coal distributed to foreign markets. 2008 also marked the fourth consecutive year that West Virginia coal shipments to foreign markets have increased.
In total, the U.S. shipped approximately 66 million tons of coal to foreign markets, with production east of the Mississippi River accounting for 85 percent of those shipments.
More information is available at: EIA Coal Distribution Data.
NMA staff contact: Leslie Coleman at (202) 463-9780 or lcoleman@nma.org
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Register-Herald Reporter
Mountain State University students as well as community members will have an opportunity to participate in a forum designed to address important issues regarding coal mining Wednesday in Carter hall. The forum, title, “Appalachian Coal Mining Under Attack,” will feature a presentation by Gene Kitts, senior vice president for mining service of International Coal Group Inc (ICG), followed by an open question and answer session.
“we’re doing this just to offer the public an opportunity to learn what is happening in today’s political environment and social environment (in relation) to the coal industry because it is very important to the economy of West Virginia,” said Dr. Norman Hinkle, dean of MSU’s School of Business & Technology.
Kitts’ presentation will include information including the progress made in safety, productivity and environmental protection in the past two centuries as well as the future of the coal industry.
Information provided will be “timely and critical” to those interested in West Virginia’s economy.
“Most people have heard a lot about cap-and-trade and he’ll (Kitts) talk about that and how it could negatively affect the coal industry,” Hinkle said.
Although Kitts will talk about the importance of the coal industry, Hinkle said he wants to “be very clear that we’re not taking a pro-coal stand,” he said. “We’re just doing this to offer the public and our students an opportunity to know what’s going on.”
The forum is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. For more information, contact Hinkle at 304-929-1320.
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Charleston Gazette - January 12, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's leading lawmakers said Tuesday that protecting the coal industry will be their priority during this year's regular legislative session, which starts Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, said the Obama administration and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are taking a "harsh stand" against coal.
"They have a whole new attitude about the coal industry," Chafin said Tuesday during the West Virginia Chamber's 2010 Legislative Issues & Outlook Conference in Charleston. "We just have to stand united."