June 14, 2012

A 43-year-old Owensville, Ind. man died on May 24 after suffering a fractured leg nine days earlier while working for the Gibson South underground coal mine.

James Palmer, a contract employee for Frontier-Kemper Constructors, was pouring concrete into an underground shaft when the hose delivering the concrete surged throwing Palmer backwards breaking his leg.

Palmer was treated for his injuries at the Gibson General Hospital in Princeton, Ind. and was released. He was found died at his residence as a result of the accident.

Palmer had been working at the mine for 22 weeks and 39 weeks for Frontier-Kemper. This is the ninth coal mining fatality for 2012.

Read reports at http://www.msha.gov/FATALS/2012/2012C09prelim.pdf and http://www.msha.gov/fatals/2012/FAB12c09.asp

June 13, 2012

A proposed mine in southeastern Montana could significantly boost jobs, household income and tax revenues for the state, according to a report by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) released in early June.

If developed, the Otter Creek coal tracts, 100 miles south of Miles City, Mont., is expected to create 2,648 jobs during the initial permitting and construction phase and around 1750 new permanent year-round jobs once operational, according to the study.

In addition the study found, the Otter Creek mine operations could raise state and local tax revenue by almost $92 million per year, due to both coal-specific taxes and growth in the overall tax base,

Authors of the study noted, “domestic markets are unlikely to provide significant growth for Montana coal,” but China’s increasing demand could drive the proposed Otter Creek mine.

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the UM is a research center producing economic and industry data for Montana. The report was paid for by the Montana Contractors Association.
http://www.bber.umt.edu/.

Read article at http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/report-details-economic-boost-from-otter-creek-coal-attracts-criticism/article_b04c4848-b5d4-11e1-9660-001a4bcf887a.html

June 7, 2012

The Environmental Protection Agency has filed suit against a subsidiary of the Indian conglomerate Essar, claiming that Essar has operated a number of illegal mines in eastern Kentucky that have discharged pollutants into tributaries of the Levisa Fork River in 2005 and 2007. The suit states that mining on the 682 acre site in Pike County and a 768 acre site in Magoffin and Floyd Counties occurred without the company obtaining the necessary Clean Water Act permits.

Essar purchased the mines along with its acquisition of Trinity Coal in March 2010 for $600 Million.

Read articles at http://newsneteast.com/indian-mining-company-gives-us-taste-of-india-style-water-pollution/, http://buzznewskentucky.blogspot.com/2012/06/epa-files-lawsuit.html and http://www.statejournal.com/story/18728899/epa-sues-india-based-firm-mining-coal-in-ky

June 4, 2012

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will offer 721 million tons of coal in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin for sale on June 28.

Adjacent to the nearly 10 square-mile coal tract is the North Antelope Rochelle mine owned by St. Louis-based Peabody Energy Corp. The company applied for coal tract in 2006.

Read announcement at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/news_room/2012/may/24coal-sale.html and article at http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/bureau-of-land-management-to-sell-million-tons-of-powder/article_a39e6811-55c0-5deb-b11b-c875aeb7899b.html

May 30, 2012

The Seattle City Council passed a resolution May 29, opposing development of coal-export terminals “over concerns about increased train traffic and potential harm to health and the environment,” according to the New York Times.

The Council’s resolution comes in the midst of the federal government’s initial review of at least six port facilities proposed in Washington and Oregon that have plans to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to Asia.

According to the New York Times article, it’s estimated, “trains could carry at least 100 million tons of coal a year through the Northwest.”

The Council says, burning more coal is not consistent with the city’s goal to combat climate change.

“Opponents say the resolution is premature and that the council should let an environmental review be completed,” the New York Times reported.

Read articles at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/us/washington-seattle-votes-against-coal-terminals.html and http://www.kplu.org/post/seattle-opposes-coal-export-ports

May 30, 2012

The Dakota Resource Council has filed two lawsuits alleging that all three of North Dakota’s Public Service Commissioners have accepted $54000 in campaign contributions from the mining companies that the PSC regulates. Commissioners Kevin Cramer, Brian Kalk and Tony Clark were named in the suit, as well as US Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar. “The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation act is quite specific that the employees of the federal government and their agents, in this case it’s the Public Service Commission since they are implementing the federal law that it is illegal for them to accept any contributions.” said Wayde Schafer of the Sierra Club.

“The law allows people to contribute, our system encourages people to contribute to elected positions, people that they agree with, people that they think are more likely to carry out there philosophy, that persons philosophy, it’s protected in the First Amendment of the Constitution, the same amendment that protects the presses right to exist, the Freedom of Expression.” replied commissioner Cramer.

Read articles at http://www.bakkentoday.com/event/article/id/58522/publisher_ID/6/, http://www.kxnet.com/story/18660482/environmental-groups-file-lawsuit-involving-psc-members and http://finance.yahoo.com/news/enviros-sue-interior-secy-nd-155910801.html

May 30, 2012

Two surface mining deaths last October near Centertown, Ky. occurred because mine management failed to recognize a geologic anomaly in the rock above the pit according to a investigative report released by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Darrel Winstead, 47, a certified blaster and Samual Lindsey, 23, a blaster helper died after a rock highwall failed and collapsed on their 1-ton truck at the Equality Mine operated by Armstrong Coal Company LLC.

MSHA reported Armstrong failed “to examine the site adequately and to recognize the anomaly and its potential failure.” The company has revised their Ground Control Plan and trained employees on the changes by a qualified professional.

Read report at http://www.msha.gov/fatals/2011/FTL11c1819.asp

May 21, 2012

Peabody Energy Corp. announced today the lease of 402 million tons of ultra low sulfur coal reserves in the South Porcupine reserve area in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The company submitted a successful bid to incorporate the five-square-mile block into its mine plan after the permitting process. Peabody, the world’s biggest private-sector coal company, said Friday that it bid $1.11 per mineable ton for control of the reserve area, which is next to Peabody’s North Antelope Rochelle Mine. Peabody now controls 3.3 billion tons of Southern Powder River Basin coal reserves.

Last month the company reported that its first-quarter profit slipped on weaker U.S. coal demand for electricity generation because of a mild winter and utilities switching to cheaper natural gas. Peabody is based in St. Louis and has mines in Illinois, Indiana, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

Read full articles at http://www.azomining.com/news.aspx?newsID=6391 and http://finance.yahoo.com/news/peabody-energy-leases-402m-tons-180326103.html

May 16, 2012

A coal miner died in Wiser County, VA. last December due to the management’s lack of mining oversight according to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. In December of 2011, Richard Yonts, 49, an excavator operator, died while loading haul trucks in the Fairbanks No. 4 strip pit in Wise County, Virginia. A portion of the highwall collapsed onto the Yont’s operating compartment resulting in fatal injuries. Yonts had 20 years of mining experience.

According to MSHA, the “management chose a modified blasting procedure, due to the presence of overland high voltage lines, and this procedure created instability in the Redwine pit highwall.” Mine management failed to warn miners of the dangers that existed and directed the victim to operate an excavator cab adjacent to the unstable highwall resulting in fatal injuries, according to the agency.

Read full report at http://www.msha.gov/fatals/2011/FTL11c23.asp

May 16, 2012

Environmentalists are suing the federal government over approval of a permit to expand a coal mine in northwestern New Mexico. The lawsuit challenges the Office of Surface Mining’s (OSM) approval of a 714-acre expansion at BHP Billiton’s Navajo Coal Mine and its claim the mine hasn’t caused health and environmental impacts.

The Western Environmental Law Center filed the suit in federal court in Colorado on Tuesday, May 15. Environmentalists contend the agency failed to consider indirect and cumulative impacts from mercury and other pollutants coming from the plant’s combustion and the disposal of coal ash waste. OSM said it has followed the permitting process to the letter.

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/05/suit-filed-against-navajo-coal-mine.html