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Most recent coal mining news items

Powder River Basin coal tracts cleared to move forward as planned

Oct 28, 2010

A judge for the Interior Board of Land Appeals has refused to delay the sale of a pair of Belle Ayr North coal tracts in the Powder River Basin. Wild Earth Guardians, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club had tried to block the sale by claiming that the Bureau of Land Management had violated the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws when it didn’t consider the effects that burning the coal would have on greenhouse gases and climate change.

In lifting the stay, Administrative Judge Bruce Harris for the IBLA stated that Wild Earth Guardians had failed to demonstrate a likelihood of immediate and irreparable harm, and that the effects of burning the coal was not something that should be considered in a mining application, because burning was too far removed from the mining process.

Borough Assembly struggles with coal issue

October 28, 2010

Mat-Su assembly members try to find middle ground between appearing supportive of the local coal mine, an important piece of the economy, and addressing their constituents’ health concerns from the open-pit mines in the area, some of whom live within a quarter mile of property leased to the mine. While the public health research is clear on the danger to people living close to the mines, it is unclear if state law even allows local communities to pass resolutions to address land-use, urban planning, dust, light and vibrations associated with coal mining.

Read article at http://www.adn.com/2010/10/28/1524606/borough-assembly-struggles-with.html

MSHA hits Alpha with ‘imminent danger’ order

October 26, 2010

Alpha Natural Resources has been issued an ‘imminent danger’ by the Mining Safety and Health Administration,. The order, which indicates that MSHA found conditions “which could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm”, was issued after an inspection of the

Navajos Hope to Shift From Coal to Wind and Sun

Coal mining and coal-fired electrical generation has brought an economic lifeline to the Navajo people, even as it has those industries have polluted their lands and air. Now, a new movement within the nation is calling for a change. Earl Tulley, a Navajo housing official, is running for vice president of the Navajo Nation in the Nov. 2 election, represents a growing movement among Navajos that embraces environmental healing and greater reliance on the sun and wind, abundant resources on a 17 million-acre reservation spanning Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Rep. Gara Seeks Chuitna Coal Alternative That Doesn’t Damage River’s King Salmon

Representative Les Gara filed comments about the proposed Chuitna mine objecting to the plan for mining. Stating “Alaskans normally do mining right. While mines like Red Dog have operated in ways that protect Alaska’s wild fish, this Chuitna proposal will, by every credible account, damage one of Cook Inlet’s most important King Salmon runs. They need to re-think this plan.”

Tyonek signs deal with tech group on coal-to-liquids project

October 21, 2010

Tyonek Native Corp., has signed an agreement with a Houston technology firm to build a new coal-to-liquids plant in Cook Inlet, hoping to capitalize on the coastal location to ship fuel to Asia and the west coast. Adjacent to the proposed Chuitna coal mine site, the plant would presumably use coal from that mine if it is developed. Tyonek is asking state legislators to pay it $175,000 to help defray the cost of testing the Chuitna coal to see if it is compatible with the chemical process proposed for the plant, a new process that promises to be more efficient but has never been tested in large scale.

Read article at http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/102110/oil_tsd.shtml

West Virginia mine safety chief gets approval to seek job in state coal industry

The head of mine safety for West Virginia has received exemption from state conflict-of-interest laws so that he can explore leaving his government post to seek employment in the industry that he currently regulates.

Ron Wooten received the permission on October 8 from the state ethics commissioner. Wooten believes that he can stay on in the post, but is concerned about his future if WV governor Joe Manchin wins his US Senate race in November.

Press Release: Black Warrior Riverkeeper on the Shapherd’s Bend Permit

A press-release about the decision to permit the Shepherd’s Bend mine issued by Black Warrior Riverkeeper, one of the opponents of the permitting process. They remain concerned about the effects on the water supply of Birmingham pointing out that if Shepherd’s Bend discharges in the amounts allowed, they will be four times or higher than the standards that the EPA has set for drinking water, which will in turn result in higher costs for the city of Birmingham to provide clean water to its citizens. Because the mine’s financial success will likely require the leasing of land from the University of Alabama system,

Black Warrior Riverkeeper is currently appealing the earlier Clean Water permit (NPDES) issued by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management claiming that the permit is in fact illegal under the Clean Water Act.

Massey’s Directors Mull Sale, Options

OCTOBER 19, 2010
Stock in Massey Coal jumped sharply on rumors that it was exploring several options for its future, including the possibility of selling itself to another coal company. Massey is the nation’s sixth largest producer of coal.

MSHA Press Release: 550 violations cited in latest ‘impact inspections’

The Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that as a result of their “special impact” inspections, initiated in the wake of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, resulted in a total of 341 violations in their inspection of 15 coal mines. The rest of the violations occurred in 15 metal/non-metal mines.

Mines were targeted based on their history of prior violations. Included were the Advantage Number 1 mine in Kentucky, which was issued 51 violations. Another was the Straight Creek #1 Mine (also in Kentucky), which was issued 39 violations. A later, regularly-scheduled inspection on October 14 found that many of the conditions had not changed, and the mine was closed until the problems were corrected.

The full list of coal mines cited is