Feature Stories
Victor’s History Paved in Gold
July 26, 2011
This town, the southern neighbor of Cripple Creek, was hustling and bustling as it approached the turn of the 19th century. Most of that was related to the production of gold, for which there were numerous mines — 500 of them…
Real Life Mining Stories With Leadership Lessons: High Emotion Often Leads to Extreme Decisions
July 26, 2011
In 1972, two months before my 19th birthday, I joined the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) at North American Coal Company’s Number 6 mine. It was a closed shop (all miners were required to join the union) so I had…
Obama Anti-Coal Energy Agenda Would Hurt America
July 21, 2011
When the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency released its new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, for coal-fired power plants in March, it received acclaim and praise from the usual anti-energy groups. The Natural Resources Defense Council claimed the rules…
The Miners’ Gala of Durham City, Northeast England
July 21, 2011
On a summer’s day, banners and brass bands attract the people of Northeast England to a celebration of their coal-mining heritage. July in the mediaeval Durham City is one of the best times to be there. The students have recently departed…
Women in Mining
July 20, 2011
Some people seem to have known what they wanted to be when they grew up since the age of five. As for myself, nothing could be further from the truth. Coming from a traditional family setting (mother, father, and one brother)…
First Section of Virginia’s Coalfields Expressway Road Bed Complete
July 20, 2011
In a field of tall grass and yellow wildflowers mixed with clover, two dirt roads intersect. It might not look like much now, says Roman Lawson, project manager on the Coalfields Expressway for Alpha Natural Resources, but in the future it’s…
West Virginia Senate Member Jack Yost Tours Turkey
July 19, 2011
State Sen. Jack Yost last month found himself following a donkey into a dark coal mine near the Black Sea in Turkey. “I was scared to death,” he said. “There was no electric ... no ventilation ... no safety.” Yost, D-Brooke,…
Clean Coal Center of Excellence Finds Its Home in Regina Canada
July 19, 2011
Buried in last week’s news release that SaskPower had awarded Stantec a $30-million contract to provide consulting engineering services to the $1.2-billion Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration project was the announcement that Regina would become home to Stantec’s…
The F.O.R.C.E. is With You
July 14, 2011
During a recent interview with Jeanine Rainone and Kathleen Pesuti, the team that runs F.O.R.C.E. (Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy), their message was clear — Pennsylvanians need to understand how important coal is to their economy. “People who work…
West Virginia’s Affinity Mine Reopens With Fanfare
July 14, 2011
A crowd including acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin gathered Wednesday near Sophia to celebrate the rebirth of a mine that had sat idle since 1985. The mine, which first opened in 1951, has seen its share of ups and downs, according…
