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Most recent coal mining news items

Inspector general blasts lack of MSHA enforcement

By Ken Ward Jr. – September 29, 2010 – WV Gazette

Read the report here.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Regulators from both political parties have for more than three decades failed to strongly and properly enforce their legal authority to crack down on coal operators who repeatedly violate health and safety laws, according to a Department of Labor inspector general’s report released Wednesday.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration stalled implementation of its “pattern of violations” authority, taking 13 years from passage of the 1977 mine safety law to finalize regulations to apply that authority, the IG said.

Enzi Blocks Mine Safety Bill From Senate Floor

By Jocelyn Allison – Law360, New York (September 29, 2010)

Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., has stalled passage of a sweeping mine safety bill that would create tough liability standards for mine operators and give new whistleblower protections to miners.

Enzi, the ranking Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, objected to a motion by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., on Tuesday to bring the bill to the Senate floor.

Coalition voices concern over Chuitna Coal Project

The Chuitna Citizen’s Coalition, a local grassroots group, has asked the governor of Alaska to stop further exploration on the proposed Chuitnal Coal mine until the mine’s potential effect on an important salmon spawning ground is better understood. Furthermore, the CCC expressed concerns about statements made by the Alaska DNR in July in Tokyo. At that time officials said the mine “will be permitted” in 2011 and in production 2014. CCC members are concerned means that the permitting process has already been decided even though at this point no public input has been received.

Musselshell County sues over Signal Peak mine taxes – Billings Gazette

A dispute between two counties over tax revenue from the Signal Peak (Bull Mountains #1) coal mine has escalated with Musselshell county filing suit in district court to strip all tax revenue from Yellowstone county. Musselshell county is claiming that all the tax proceeds should go to them, because the mouth of the underground mine is in Musselshell county. Currently, revenue is divided based on whether the coal extracted is coming from the portion of the mine under Yellowstone county or Musselshell. Yellowstone county are surprised by the lawsuit and say it goes against prior understandings between the counties.

Jim Justice buys National Coal

Associated Press – September 28, 2010 – CHARLESTON

The Greenbrier owner Jim Justice is buying National Coal Corp. and taking it private, the Knoxville, Tenn.-based mine operator said Tuesday.

Justice has agreed to pay $1 a share, but National Coal did not specify a total price for the deal. The company had more than 8.6 million shares outstanding as of June 30, but the deal includes an unspecified number of shares that can be issued by exercising options.

Navajo group seeks court intervention

By Carol Berry, Indian Country Today – Sep 24, 2010

DENVER â€“ Federal mining regulators have skirted environmental laws in an ongoing permitting process for Navajo Mine in northwestern New Mexico, according to organizations from the Navajo Nation and the Four Corners area that are seeking a court-ordered review.

DinÃ© Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment (DinÃ© CARE), an all-Navajo environmental organization, and San Juan Citizens Alliance, Colorado/New Mexico, filed suit against the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcementâ€™s western region in U.S. District Court, where oral argument was heard Aug. 25.

Waiting on EPA â€¦ decision on Spruce Mine?

By Ken Ward Jr. – September 24, 2010

Todayâ€™s supposed to be the deadline for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyâ€™s regional administrator, Shawn Garvin, to make a recommendation to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson about the permit for Arch Coal Inc.â€™s Spruce Mine.

EPA has delayed that recommendation deadline once, and it sounds like the agency â€” while Garvin may have made a recommendation â€” isnâ€™t going to be telling the public what that recommendation was, at least for a while.

3 Montana mines cited for safety violations – BusinessWeek

As part of an increased enforcement effort, MSHA has fined three Montana mines a total of 79 violations. The mines are the Signal Peak Coal Mine (Bull Mountains Mine No 1) near Roundup , the Troy silver mine and the Stillwater Platinum mine near Nye. Of the 79 violations, 21 were labeled problems that could cause serious injuries.

MSHA stated the three mines had drawn increased scrutiny because of other recent violations, including a fatality that occurred at Signal peak.

ND fines mining company for water disposal problem – BusinessWeek

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has fined the owners of the Freedom Mine $1000 for illegally dumping runoff water outside of its permit area. The dumping occurred in June. $750 of the $1000 fine was for negligence.

Report: Midwest Move From Coal to Wind and Other Renewables

September 22, 2010

DES MOINES, Iowa – As climate and energy legislation stalls in Congress, some industry experts aren’t waiting for clean energy solutions. A recent report commissioned by the Civil Society Institute compares what it calls a “Business as Usual” model â€“ relying on fossil fuels â€“ to one that eliminates coal production completely by the year 2050, maintains some level of natural gas and nuclear power, and invests heavily in such renewable energy sources as wind.

Critics have argued that investment in wind energy is not cost-effective, but the report’s lead author, Geoff Keith of Synapse Energy Economics, says that’s an outdated notion.