A Publication Dedicated to Coal People Worldwide MAY 2012 Vol. 34 No. 4 Electric Power Show Issue Featuring Conference Highlights and Exhibitor Profiles
Magazine Coal People Magazine 2012 May Issue
Mine Safety Vass Brothers American Mining Insurance Company
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Web Designer SETCO CAN EASILY Chuck Jelderks • Change the entire dimension on a tire • Vary the rubber depth for maximum load and carry Mailing Address • Utilize its custom heat dissipating compound to • P.O. Box 6247 • Charleston, WV 25362 • 629 Virginia St., W • Charleston, WV minimize heat throughout the assembly to maximize 25302 load capacities while minimizing fatigue on the machines and Web Portal www.coalpeople.com operators. Subscribe on-line when visiting Web site. Subscription rate $25 annually within the THE RUBBER IS UNDER NO PRESSURE United States. $50 for Canadian and • No cord body pumped up to 200 psi that will explode overseas subscriptions. with the slightest cut or puncture Send payment to above address. • No internal pressure attempting to escape at the first sign of weakness Coal People Magazine is mailed direct to coal executives with buying power in the United States, Canada, Mexico and overseas. Phone (580) 286-6531 Each copy is mailed specifically to company www.setcosolidtire.com presidents, CEO’s, vice presidents, engineers, Toll Free (800) 634-2381 purchasing agents, and mine supervisors. Additional copies are distributed at coal shows, Authorized Distributor: conferences and meetings. Editorial material R.M. Wilson Co. should be submitted to the editor at the address Wheeling, WV (800) 624-5460 above by the 15th of the month prior to publica- Beckley, WV (800) 232-5539 tion. All original material including advertis- Price, UT (435) 637-6950 ing design, copy illustrations and signatures conceived and developed by Al Skinner Inc for use by its publication are for express use of this publication. All rights reserved.© Advertising rates and editorial calendars are available upon request by calling (800) 235-5188.
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 3 Next Issue: JUNE Underground/Longwall Mining A Publication Dedicated to Coal People Worldwide MAY 2012 Vol. 34 No. 4 Electric Power Sow Issue On the cover...: Featuring Conference Highlights and Exhibitor Profiles Magazine The Vass Brothers Magazine MAY 2012 Vol. 34 No. 4 photographed on-site. Dedicated to Coal People Worldwide www.coalpeople.com Photos by award-winning Tim Cox of Tim Cox Photo/Graphics Norton, VA Features (276)328-5994
Mine Safety 18 26 Full story on page 18
Vass Brothers David Cline Safety on their Minds in the Mines New Equipment Making By Al Skinner Clean Sweep By Bill Archer Departments Editorial...... 8 Articles Buyer-Friendly Ad Index “Find it Fast” ...... 6 Coal People Comments...... 10 Virginia Tech Honors Engineer Samuel Shrader Coal / Energy Events ...... 12 for his Career Achievements ...... 14 Safety News ...... 30 How EPA Aims to Kill Coal ...... 16 Capsule News ...... 34 By Reed Rubinstein Coal News Worldwide ...... 42 Electric Power Exhibitor Profiles...... 44 Coal People in the News ...... 39 CPM advertisers at Electric Power Show Energy News ...... 38 Fugitive Material: How and Why to Control It ...... 46 Product News ...... 58 By Jerad Heitzler Coal Event Calendar ...... 60-61 Coal Silo-Bunker Firefighting Procedures ...... 50 Advertising Index ...... 66 By Justin Clift Professional Directory / Classified ...... 62-66 Living in the Patch ...... 52 By Geno Lawrenzi Jr. Arch Coal’s Golden Apple Award ...... 55 By Julia Roberts Goad
Advertiser in Action COAL PEOPLE is the most comprehensive and unique JH Fletcher Celebrates 75 Years ...... 29 editorial blend of human interest and news in the coal Strata Worldwide Receives MSHA Approval ...... 35 mining / energy industry both in print and on-line. Visit www.coalpeople.com and see why CPM has been Mine Radio Systems Partners with favored by readers and advertisers for more than 36 years Papua New Guinea communications company ...... 37 and is considered the industry’s best! JH Fletcher Offering HV-32 Drill ...... 43 Total Circulation: 14,380 Qualified recipients include owners and corporate management, operating management, and other titled and non-titled personnel.
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MAY12230-IRW-M&T-CoalPeop-MAY-V3.indd Mine Safety / Electric Power 1 Issue 2/28/12 3:47 PM5 Buyer-Friendly Products and Services Looking for a Specific Product Fast? Use Coal People’s Find it Fast! “Find it Fast” Index In Print or On-line. www.coalpeople.com This index has been compiled for readers to Quickly Locate Products and Services. Available in print with page number reference or on-line with a direct link to each company’s Web site.
ABRASION / IMPACT RESISTANT MATERIALS DISTRIBUTORS / ENGINEERED PRODUCERS American Utility Metals ...... 65 R.M. Wilson Co., Inc...... 23 CBP Engineering Corporation ...... 62 United Central Industrial Supply ...... 2 HardSteel, Inc...... 62 ELECTRICAL / CABLE PRODUCTS Wear Services ...... 62 Corky Wells Electric ...... 64 AUTOMATED SAMPLING SYSTEMS Pemco Corporation...... 64 James A. Redding Company ...... 63 ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT Precision Samplers, Inc ...... 62 Delaware Elevator ...... 64 BATTERY CHARGERS / MINE EMERGENCY ESCAPE HOISTING SYSTEMS LaMarche Manufacturing ...... 63 Coalfield Services, Inc...... 64 BELT CLEANERS EMPLOYMENT MineIndustryJobs.com...... 60 Richwood ...... 62 ENGINEERING SERVICES BELT TRACKING SYSTEMS Farnham & Pfile Engineering & Construction ...... 63 FLEXCO ...... 9 Skelly and Loy Engineering ...... 64 CABLE FAULT LOCATORS FANS Innovative Utility Products Corporation ...... 62 Paul’s Repair Shop, Inc ...... 64 COAL EVENTS FILTERS Coal-Gen ...... 28 Peterson Filters Corporation...... 64 MINExpo ...... 24 GUNITE COAL PREPARATION PLANTS Gunite Construction ...... 65 Lincoln Contracting & Equipment ...... 62 INSURANCE COAL PREPARATION / PREPARATION EQUIPMENT American Mining Insurance ...... 14-15 American Pulverizer Co ...... 63 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES Industrial Resources, Inc ...... 62 A.L. Lee Corp...... 16 Powerscreen Mid-Atlantic ...... 63 MINE & TUNNELLING PRODUCTS COMMUNICATIONS / TRACKING Irwin Mine & Tunnelling ...... 5 American Mine Research, Inc...... 13 MINING MACHINERY Becker Wholesale Mine Supply ...... (BC) 68 Whayne Supply, Inc...... 16 HSC Industrial ...... 20 MOTORIZED CONVEYOR PULLEYS Minesafe Electronics, Inc...... 31 Rulmeca Corporation...... 65 L-3 Communications...... 10 PAINTING / COATING SERVICES Strata Worldwide ...... 25 Gardner Paint Services, Inc...... 63 CONSULTING SERVICES / ENGINEERS PIPING / FABRICATION Cowin & Company, Inc ...... 64 JABO Supply Corporation ...... 65 Martin Consulting...... 64 PIPING & PUMPING SYSTEMS CONTRACTORS Lee Supply Co., Inc...... 65 Rock & Coal Construction ...... 63 PUMPS CONVEYOR ACCESSORIES SCHURCO Slurry ...... 65 Richwood ...... 63 ROOF & RIB APPLICATIONS CONVEYOR BACKSTOPS Tensar ...... 21 SILOS-STACKING TABLES Formsprag Clutch ...... 65 San-Con Industries, Inc...... 65 Marland Clutch ...... 63 TIRES CONVEYOR BELT CLEANERS / SYSTEMS Setco Tire & Rim Assembly ...... 3 ASGCO ...... 17 Trojan Tire, Inc...... 11 CONVEYOR SOLUTIONS TORQUE TOOLS Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions ...... 7 Norbar Torque Tools, Inc...... 66
Look for Coal People’s Monthly e-Newsletters Highlighting • Current Issue On-Line in Flip-Page Format • Advertisers’ Current Logo Links • Upcoming Issue Promotions • Links to Advertisers’ in Action • Links to Upcoming Coal Events To receive the e-version of Coal People Magazine send request to: [email protected] To view on-line issues log-on to: www.coalpeople.com 6 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 7 By Al Skinner Publisher / Editor
FOR GOOD SAFETY, WE NEED ‘DOERS’
In the World of Safety there are the Talkers, and there are the which is always a threat contributing to possible explosions. ‘Doers!’ Without getting into too much rhetoric, read Bill’s article and be impressed with how a seemingly simple thing like a street Naturally the ‘Doers’ get it done, while the Talkers sit on their sweeper has had an impact on mine safety, because a coal thumbs. miner was thinking safety.
In our cover feature this month, the Vass brothers point out Sometimes it’s the little things that count big, especially in safe- the strengths and the weaknesses in coal mining safety today. ty. They say, in essence, a Safety Plan is only as good as it is practiced. “You can talk safety all day long, but it’s to no avail if OBAMA’S EATING DOG WHEN HE SHOULD BE it isn’t practiced,” the Vass’ say. “ A safety plan is good, but it’s not failsafe.” EATING CROW
Educated “suits” aren’t going to get the job done. It’s going to We heard a political advertisement on the radio recently that take experienced mining veterans like the Vass brothers who suggested West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and President have that hands-experience and who understand the intricacies Obama are in cahoots with the EPA to eradicate coal. It is un- of mining to formulate good safety standards. Both started at believable the GOBBLEDEGOOK that comes blubbering out of lowly red hat jobs and both rose to supervisory positions. In all this administration’s spokes people. those years, they have learned to respect safety, both of whom having made mistakes in the mines while young laborers, which These vote-getting schemes, concocted from untruths and fab- nearly cost them their lives. When that happens… a miner has rications, aren’t even close to reality. Senator Manchin is the an epiphany that morphs him into a complete safety person. hardest working pro-coal fighter in Washington, DC. He’s a Safety then becomes as natural as donning a hard hat. It begins 100% coal man. To suggest that he is Obama-like is downright the moment you pass the guardhouse and take the road to the ludicrous, unfathomable!! Do your research anti-coal people… mine entrance. You’re so much into preaching utter nonsense that you can’t see the light of day. Disgusting! Like an arm-weary basketball player trying to make free throw shots late in a game, so is the fatigued coal miner most at risk The Obama people will have a difficult time convincing anybody to make those safety “shots.” Tired or not, safety has to become that Senator Manchin is anything but a big time coal advocate. a habit, naturally and habitually. It has to become a natural in- stinct – then, and only then, does it become totally effective. And while we’re on the subject of Obama, how about his ad- mitting to having eaten dog, but didn’t mistreat it. Huh? Are A big safety factor in underground mines is the ever-present we missing something here? He ate dog, but didn’t mistreat it. coal dust, a nasty contributing component in explosions. Mine What’s that mean? Does that mean that he was gentle as he dust is like throwing kerosene on a fire… it helps ignite the gas- munched the dog delicacy? What’s the difference between that es. CPM Writer Bill Archer, inside these pages, writes about an and eating fried chicken, but being gentle as you ate it. invention by David Cline of Rock ‘n Roll Coal in Bull Creek, WV, that has made mines safer. They made a big deal when Mitt Romney put a dog on the roof of his car, while traveling on vacation. That wasn’t too smart, Sometimes the seed of an idea is right in front of us, but we either, but at least he didn’t eat the animal. don’t always see it. David saw it and he acted on it. Miners are the most innovative and resolute people in any industry. David Obama should put the dog meat aside, and eat some crow to- observed an ordinary street sweeper in action. It sparked an day. idea. With some modification, he thought, this same machine could be used underground to sweep the mine floor of dust, The craziness goes on! Stand by for more of the same.
8 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com NAME: Carl Hessler
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MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 9
FLX-12049_InnovatorsMHS_FP4c_CoalPeopleMAY.indd 1 4/20/12 12:59 PM coal people comments
“EPA’S proposal (New “The failure of the you had, you’d have seen the faces of the Source Performance United States Senate people whose jobs you’re killing. You’d Standards) for to rein in the Obama- have seen the communities you’re trying controlling greenhouse EPA is having a to wipe clean off the map. There are gas emissions from devastating impact on people all over this state whose families about half the nation’s the pocketbooks of have food on the table and roofs over electric power supply American families and their heads because of coal. They work is a poorly disguised threatens the jobs and deep inside the earth to keep your cities cap-and-tax scheme livelihoods of millions lit up at night and your houses warm in that represents of Americans. Over the winter. We’re proud of the job we do, energy and economic policy at its worst. past year, more than a dozen Senate because we do it better than anyone in Higher utility bills and fewer jobs are Democrats have claimed that they want the world. We’re going to fight you on this the only certain outcomes from this to stop EPA’s destructive agenda, yet every step of the way. You’re going to get reckless attempt to override Congress’s when the time comes, they hide behind tired of hearing from us on this, but you repeated refusal to enact punitive caps alternative bills they know will never pass. better just get used to it, because we’re on carbon dioxide emissions. Requiring This way, they can tell their constituents not going away. We’re not surrendering coal-based power plants to meet an they are trying to help – when the reality is our jobs and our communities without a emissions standard based on natural their actions are enabling them to protect fight.” gas technology is a policy overtly President Obama’s left wing ideals. The – Excerpts from a letter by WV Gov. Earl calculated to destroy a significant portion House has passed numerous bipartisan Ray Tomblin to Washington bureaucrats. of America’s electricity supply. This is a bills, yet not a single one has passed the movie we have seen before, and the US Senate. It’s time for the Senate to do “Once again Americans, including our script remains unchanged. This proposal its job and stop this regulatory nightmare.” elected representatives, have sat on is the latest convoy in EPA’s regulatory – Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). their hands and allowed the unelected, train wreck that is rolling across America, unaccountable, ideologically obsessed crushing jobs and arresting our economic “It’s not that far from Washington, DC, to regulators at the EPA to punish them. recovery at every stop.” the coalfields here in West Virginia, but I The EPA has sounded the death knell for – NMA President/CEO Hal Quinn. doubt many of you have made the trip. If an industry that has been the backbone
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10 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com of US power production for decades, and which is a substantial part of the economy of several states, providing tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in annual tax revenue. The EPA has not yet won its war on this dependable and important American industry that today accounts for 40 percent of electricity production. But victory is in sight.” – Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
“America needs to get back to its first principles – to farming, making, building, drilling and mining stuff. We need to get back to work. But the Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are oblivious to anything other than their discriminatory and selfish agenda. They have declared war on coal, on farming and on drilling. They are destroying America’s basic industries. We can’t afford another four years of this insanity. We must get back to first principles and put our people back to work, making things that are more valuable and needed from our natural resources.” – Bill Raney, WVCA.
“Carbon capture technology has been improving steadily over the past 30 years, but the coal industry is still in desperate need of government backing to develop more efficient, cheaper methods. Although the US lacks a clear energy policy, the government is making strides toward reducing foreign oil dependency. Liquid fuel imports, for example, have decreased in the past several years because of the recession, development of domestic resources, and an effort to increase energy efficiency. I’m still skeptical of how well Americans will latch on to alternative energy vehicles, like natural gas – or electric-powered cars.” – Barry Worthington, US Energy Association Executive Director.
continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 11 coal people comments coal / energy events
“We should be so proud of what we The ISEE Conference Program has in Mining is scheduled for May 29-30 have done for this nation. And now, it’s issued an industry wide call for at the Sheraton Rio Hotel and Resort, almost like they have us on the defense, papers, sharing ideas and expertise at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. South America’s defending what we do as our way of life. the Annual Conference on Explosives mining experts will gather to deliberate Coal is an energy source that has made and Blasting Technique, to be held at on the best practices in securing health our nation what it is. We just have to tell the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, Fort Worth, and safety of miners along with cutting our story more. That’s what I’m trying to TX, in February 2013. Abstracts are due edge rescue operation techniques. do all over this country, telling what we by May 15, 2012. Papers addressing Programs include update on the best have done. Every night, we should get all topics related to explosives and HSE standards in mining, new techniques on our knees and say a prayer for a coal blasting will be considered, especially to counter accidents in open pits and miner and a coal operator who have papers about media relations. Abstracts underground mines, identifying signs of basically given all of us in this country of 200-400 words highlighting the major fatigue and mental illness in employees, the life we have. It’s built our industrial points of paper should be submitted and understanding strategies for safety might.” electronically by clicking on the site at culture change. Exhibits are available. – US Senator Joe Manchin. ISEE Submission Site. Any questions, Call Sonika Mendjoge at +971 4 609 email at [email protected]. 1570 or visit www.fleminggulf.com. “By 2030, the 1.5 billion people in India will depend more on coal energy than The Heartland Institute will host the The Federation for American Coal any country in the world – except for the Seventh International Conference on Energy and Security (FACES of 1.5 billion people in China.” Climate Change (ICC-7) May 21-23, Coal), Richmond, VA, will hold a – EnergyFacts Weekly. at the Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL. The Virginia Coal Rally at the Washington nd theme is Real Science, Real Choices. County Fairgrounds on June 2 from “Electrification in China is a remarkable The program will feature some 60 11 am to 4 pm. The Rally is being billed success story … the most important scientists and policy experts speaking as a celebration of Appalachian and lesson to other developing countries at plenary sessions and on three tracks Virginia Coal Jobs and will feature live (is) that electrified countries reap great of concurrent panel sessions, exploring entertainment as well as an open forum benefits, both in terms of economic what real climate science is telling us to highlight the importance of coal to growth and human welfare … China is an about the causes and consequences Virginia and the country. “This will be example for the developing world.” of climate change, and the real a family-friendly, informative and, most – International Energy Agency. consequences of choices being made of all, fun event,” said Petrina Jones of based on the current perceptions of the FACES of Coal. “We are proud of Virginia “CCS (carbon capture state of climate science. Peter Gleick coal and coal miners and we intend to and storage) is seen as ‘Fakegate’ Scandal is on the agenda, and stand up with Virginia’s elected leaders the key to many scenarios debates on the latest climate science. to defend coal jobs and defend Virginia’s of how to mitigate climate Visit www.climateconfernce.heartland. economy. If the Obama Administration change, whether that’s org/. thinks they can just attack our jobs and the UK meeting its targets pretend we won’t notice, they are wrong, on cutting emissions or The 7TH Annual CIS Coal Summit and we will make sure they know they are global targets that keep is scheduled for May 22-24 at the wrong.” FACES of Coal is an alliance of warming below 2C. But unlike other Marriott Grand Hotel in Moscow, more than 75,000 people from all walks low-carbon technologies, CCS doesn’t featuring over 40 speakers. Highlights of life who are joining forces to educate exist at the commercial scale. We don’t will include a debate among industry lawmakers and the general public about know when they will be technically leaders, a keynote overview, latest the importance of coal and coal mining to proven at full scale, and whether costs trends and forecasts, government policy local and national economies and to the will be competitive with other low-carbon new coal technologies and rail and sea nation’s energy security.” options.” transportation and infrastructure. Visit – Dr. Jim Watson, Sussex University. www.CIScoal.com. Planning is underway for the 40th Annual King Coal Festival in “The Environmental Protection Agency AGH University of Science and Williamson, WV, later this summer. The has become the largest source of lost Technology is hosting a conference Action in Mingo (AIM) group is continuing a series of meetings with the goal of jobs and nonsensical regulations which on “Obtaining and Utilizing Methane creating a four-day event marking the make little or no sense to the average from Coal Seam,” on May 23-25 at the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the American. All we’ve heard for years it that AGH University Campus in Jastrzebie birth of the King Coal Festival. The next they protect the quality of our air, water Zdroj City, Poland. Attendees will learn scheduled meeting for the AIM group will and the environment in general. Armed about the drainage and utilization of be May 18, at 5 pm in the Williamson City with this badge of protecting us they have methane from coal seams. An exchange Council chambers. For more information, regulated most small businesses to the of scientific knowledge and practical contact Mae Stallard at 304/235-5560. point of bankruptcy with regulations, which experience will be exchanged between stifle and constrict. Instead of protecting the scientific community and experts The 2nd Annual Coal Export us they have managed to accrue tons of from Poland and the world. The goal is to Infrastructure Conference will be held irrational regulations all of which strangle create a discussion platform for ensuring initiative and development.The Obama the free exchange of scientific and June 18-20 at the Stamford Plaza, administration seems to derive pleasure technical ideas for coal mine methane Brisbane, Australia. The conference from the actions of these incompetent recovery and utilization. Email Jayne features leaders from coal mines, tree-huggers who wallow in their bad Somers at [email protected]. senior government representatives at regulations.” federal, state and local levels, senior – WVCA Newsletter. Health, Safety & Rescue Operations management from infrastructure 12 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com owners and operators, private sector at Edgewood Country Club in Charleston, [email protected]. investors, fund managers, engineering, WV on Thursday, June 28. Contact infrastructure and technology vendors, Deron Upton at 314/342-7591. Representatives of West Virginia’s investment banks, leading law and mining industry will gather at the accounting firms, and independent The 11th Annual Outage Management 2012 Miners’ Celebration to recognize industry consultancies. Call 02 92279 for Power Plants Conference will be those who contribute to the enterprise. 2222. held July 31-August 2, at the Sheraton The conference will be held October New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. 4-5 at Tamarack in Beckley, WV. The The Coal Leadership Advancement The conference will focus on trends program will kick off with registration Seminar Series, sponsored by the and topics familiar to outage managers, and a reception at 6 pm on Thursday, American Coal Council, will be held including planning and scheduling Oct. 4. At the reception, the Coal June 26-28 at the Magnolia Hotel in challenges, working with limited Heritage Highway Authority/National Denver, CO. The seminar is designed budgets, managing the scope of outage Coal Heritage Area will present several to fill the educational gap between new projects, contractor management, and awards including the Nick Joe Rahall hires and senior executives. Series will safety issues. Electric fossil generation Award for Outstanding Achievements in Coal Heritage Preservation, the address advancing professional career professionals will be invited. Contact David Drey at 312/540-3000 ext 6583, Coal Heritage Award for Excellence in objectives; building and enhancing or visit www.marcusevansch.com/mp the Arts, the Coal Heritage Marketing long-term relationships with industry ompp. Award and the Coal Heritage Research colleagues; obtaining timely, in-depth and Documentation Award. On Friday, and analytical industry knowledge “Further Along the Road to Zero” Oct. 5, the program will continue with a and resources; and learning about the is this year’s topic for the Greater full day of presentations focusing on all operations of and inter-relationship Bluefield Chamber of Commerce’s aspects of the mining industry.. “Because between various sectors of the coal Coal Symposium scheduled for August of You” awards will be presented to industry – coal supply, coal consumption 13-15 at the Quality Hotel and Conference honor miners, engineers, safety and and coal transportation. Register online Center in Bluefield, WV. A limited number environmental professionals, community at www.etouches.com/38688, or call of tabletop exhibit spaces are available leaders, manufacturers, suppliers and Janet Gellici at 202/756-4540. and PDH credits may be earned. Golf will educators for their contributions to the also be an option on Monday, August 13 mining industry. Nominations for the The Peter’s Creek Coal Association at the Fincastle Country Club. Contact awards are being accepted through June th will hold its 26 Anniversary of the the Greater Bluefield Chamber of 1. Cost of the conference is $100. Visit Annual PCCA Golf Outing and Dinner Commerce at 304/327-7184 or email at www.marshall.edu/cegas.
P.O. Box 234 Rocky Gap, VA 24366 Phone: 276-928-1712 · Fax: 276-928-1814
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MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 13 Virginia Tech Honors Engineer Samuel Shrader for his Career Achievements
amuel Shrader, of Punta Gorda, FL, who earned his bach- elor’s degree in mining and minerals engineering from Vir- Sginia Tech in 1963, is a 2012 inductee into Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Academy of Engineering Excellence, joining an elite group of 112 individuals out of more than 58,000 living engineering alumni.
The Academy of Engineering Excellence was founded in 1999 by F. William Stephenson, past dean of the college of engineer- (l to r) Greg Adel, mining and minerals department head at Virginia ing, and the College’s Advisory Board. The inductees are engi- Tech; Richard C. Benson, dean of engineering at Virginia Tech; and neering graduates of Virginia Tech who have made continuous Sam Shrader, award recipient. and admirable engineering or leadership contributions during their careers. This year marked the thirteenth anniversary of He stayed with metallurgy for two quarters before Charlie Hol- the first induction. land – then head of the College of Engineering’s mining depart- ment – persuaded Shrader to switch majors during a student Born a son of a coal miner, coal was in Shrader’s blood from the assembly. Holland spoke of the Bishop Coal Mines, which hit start. But when he graduated high school in 1956, he decided to close to home – figuratively and literally – for Shrader. “As I lis- leave the family business and study metallurgy at Virginia Tech. tened, I thought, ‘Why am I in metallurgy when coal is the thing He was the first person in his family to attend college. “People I know about?’ ” recognized I was not a knucklehead but, when I wanted some- thing, I tucked my head down and went after it,” said Shrader. Shrader went home and told his parents he was switching his field of study to mining. His father, also the son of a coal miner, threw a fit. “I thought you went to college to get away from this stuff,” Shrader recalled his father saying. But Shrader had a come- back: “I didn’t go there to get away from it. I went there so I could do Serving the Mining Industry for a better job.” And so Shrader re- turned to Virginia Tech as a min- over 20 years ing and minerals major. In 1958, his sophomore year in college, Shrader was forced to drop out of college because of a lack of funds. He took a job with the US Steel’s forestry depart- ment, worked in the same coal mines as his father and grandfa- ther, and married his high school sweetheart, Judy, and – with help from her job as a nurse in the Ca- tawba area near Roanoke – re- • Industry Expertise entered Virginia Tech in 1960. “I don’t think I would have finished • An Ease of Doing Business Philosophy (college) had it not been for her,” said the grateful husband. • Rapid, Reasonable and Fair Settlement of Claims Shrader graduated with a degree in mining engineering in 1963 and set to work for Consol - the start of For more information, contact your local a 30-year career. He began at the Independent Insurance Agent Pocahontas office collecting re- serve data and preparing reserve or call 1-800-448-5621, ext. 249. data reports on the rural Virginia Horsepen seam that would later www.americanmining.com develop into the very success- ful Horsepen strip mine. Then he 14 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com worked as the assistant to the division president, setting up mines. Rather than a disaster of fleeing employees and threat- contract mines in the Virginia/West Virginia region. In 1964, ened walk outs, the move provided wildly successful – pay Shrader was assigned to the Itmann No.3 mine in Wyoming was 10 to 12 percent above union scale, and Shrader fought County, WV, where he worked at the mine face and began get- for the miners to participate in company matching investment ting management experience as a section boss. This field ex- plans and other benefit packages. The move was so success- perience helped him later as he dealt with union, work, health ful, some employees were able to retire at age 50, said the and safety issues. people’s advocate.
In 1965, he was promoted to superintendent of the Buckeye Shrader had kept his promise: The third generation coal miner Mine. Three years later, he was again promoted to regional in- did a much better job. The company his father and grandfather worked for was called Pocahontas Fuel, which became part dustrial engineer. It was at this job that Shrader used several of Consol Energy, part of the larger multi-billion-dollar Consol then groundbreaking computer programs developed at Virginia Corp. Shrader retired in mid-1994, as senior vice president of Tech’s mining department. the corporation’s entire Eastern Region, overseeing mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, encompassing large Shrader was named regional mining engineer and assistant swaths of his native Appalachians. chief engineer and then promoted to regional chief engineer in 1970. It was at this latter post that Shrader supervised the Shrader is retired and lives in Punta Gorda, FL, for much of the construction and opening of the Kepler mine and preparation year, sharing his home with Judy, the high school sweetheart plant in Pineville, WV. He ascended through the ranks, and was he married in 1958, and fishes on a regular basis. “I like the named vice president of operations for Bishop Coal Co., a part- outdoors, always have,” he said. He flies small aircraft recre- nership between Consol and Inland Steel Co. in 1974. The fol- ationally; takes annual pilgrimages to northern Canada to hunt lowing year he was named vice president of Consol’s Tazewell geese and ducks, and then to rural Bland County, VA, where County operations. he owns a home and hunts deer. While in Southwest Virginia, he also attends as many Hokie football games as scheduling In 1981, he was asked to serve as assistant to Bobby Brown, will allow. then the executive vice president of operations for all of Consol, who would then later ascend to president, CEO, and chairman. He remains active with the Virginia Tech Department of Mining In 1984, Shrader reached his top position: senior vice president and Minerals Engineering, having served as a charter member of the Eastern Region, overseeing dozens of projects and hun- of its advisory board from 2000-2009. dreds of employees.
During his 10 years in this position, Shrader saw production nearly triple from 9 million to 25 million tons and profits went from $1 to over $10 per ton. He also was tasked with open- Introducing “Pay As You Go” ing the Bailey and Enlow Fork mines in Pennsylvania, the then-largest Workers Comp Premium Billing underground coal mining operations in the United States. Shrader be- came widely known as an industry WHAT MAKES THIS SPECIAL? leader in the use of large-scale long wall mining, and was the first indus- • Helps to lower your deposit premium try manager to use 1,000-foot-wide and 10,000-foot long panels. • Improves your cash flow
Shrader developed two patents dur- • Calculates your workers comp premium from ing his lifetime. One improved min- actual payroll records in real time ers’ safety while also speeding up a sometimes grueling slow, stop-and- • Eliminates risk of a large additional premium start process of opening narrow- entry mines. The device allowed at policy audit for people handling roof bolters and also miners to work simultaneously, • Easy and convenient instead of each waiting on the other. At the time, it helped his teams to increase productivity by 40 percent.
Shrader also worked to ensure rights and benefits for his workers, above and beyond those promised by union representation. At two non- union mines in Pennsylvania – a state that leans hard to the union www.americanmining.com side – Consol opened two non-union
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 15 How the EPA Aims to Kill Coal By Reed Rubinstein
A case can be made, upon reviewing the full sweep of private sector jobs. President Barack Obama’s first term, that the Administration’s top priority has not been health care, the Iranian nuclear Nevertheless, from its first day, the program or economic recovery. It has been, instead, the US Administration has waged a war of attrition coal industry’s ruination. in Congress, the courts and the federal regulatory arena against coal. The Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) legislative assault collapsed when Congress rejected cap and proposed a regulation with the innocuous title “Standards trade, and the courts have not been kind to the Administration. of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New In a recent case, the EPA claimed the right to revoke a Clean Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units,” setting Water Act permit issued to a coal company by the US Army a carbon dioxide emissions limit that coal plants cannot Corps of Engineers, only to have a liberal federal court judge meet, now or in the foreseeable future. According to Serra rebuke the Agency for “magical thinking” and for grabbing Club Executive Director Michael Brune, the proposed rule power against Congressional will. would make it “nearly impossible to build a new coal plant.” The American Public Power Association agrees, stating the But in the regulatory sphere, where bureaucrats reign at the proposal will “kill coal going forward.” expense of public transparency and judicial or congressional review, the EPA has run unleashed and unchecked. Since Yet US coal is an economic mainstay of West Virginia, Kentucky, 2008, the Administration has proposed or issued thousands of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wyoming, and a source of reliable pages of regulations to burden coal-generated electric power. and economical electric power for much of the country. A 2010 Although often wrong-headed and even contrary to law, these Price Waterhouse Coopers study states US coal mining regulations generally have had at least a tenuous connection to accounted for more than 154,000 direct and 555,000 total cleaner air or water. jobs in 2008 during the depths of the recession. Coal provides good, high-paying jobs. Based on Bureau of Labor The EPA’s new proposal, however, is chillingly disconnected Statistics data, average coal mining wages and salaries were from environmental quality. The Administration argues that: $72,200, 59 percent higher than the combined average of all • coal plants produce carbon dioxide
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16 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com • that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas things, the science is truly settled. • that carbon dioxide “endangers both the public health and the public welfare of current and future generations” due to the In the end, the EPA justifies the proposed rule, and by extension theoretical public health and social effects of global warming the economic damage that it will do, by claiming the proposed • that coal plants are “the country’s largest stationary rule “will send a strong signal” and “may” encourage foreign source emitters…” governments “to consider less [carbon]-intensive forms of power generation.” Congress, however, did not enact environmental At the same time, the EPA admits that the rule will do nothing laws so that the EPA could sacrifice American workers and to reduce total US carbon dioxide emissions. Simply stated, American industry to “signal” foreign governments. the proposed rule stops only new coal power plants, not global warming. Sound policy and public faith in the regulatory system require federal bureaucrats’ strong and consistent compliance with In 1993, President Bill Clinton issued an Executive Order President Clinton’s Executive Order principles. Yet, the requiring federal agencies to propose or adopt regulations only Administration’s Ahab-like obsession with US coal has corrupted upon a reasoned determination that the benefits of a rule justify the administrative process, leading the EPA to discard prudence its costs, and to write rules that impose the least burden on and ignore the Clinton principles. The result is an irrational society, consistent with regulatory objectives. These common proposal that will cause economic devastation without, as the sense requirements were adopted and reaffirmed by President EPA freely concedes, improving air quality. Obama in January 2011. The EPA should withdraw its proposed rule, apply the Clinton Ignoring these requirements, the EPA has utterly failed to take principles, and then get about the business of regulating coal a hard-headed look at the relative balance between economic in a prudent and sober way that truly accounts for all economic cost and environmental benefits associated with the proposed costs and ensures that the environmental benefits are real and rule. It says absolutely nothing about the workers who will lose true. American workers, the US coal industry, and the integrity their jobs if the proposal becomes law. Yet, unlike the potential of the regulatory system itself require nothing less. endangerment posed by carbon dioxide, the harm to public health and welfare from job-killing rules is actual, certain and About the author: Reed Rubinstein is a partner in Dinsmore & real. The increased unemployment and economic decline that Shohl’s Washington, D.C. office. He previously served as the will occur in the areas hit hardest by the EPA’s new rule will U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Counsel for environment, result in substantially higher rates of chronic disease, substance technology and regulatory affairs. and spousal abuse, mental illness and suicide. About these
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 17 Don Vass with Gerard Skalka (Munich Reinsurance Company) at A.J. Taft Coal Company located just outside of Jasper, AL. photo by Joe Watts
THE BROTHERS VASS: Safety On Their Minds at the Mines
Don Vass photo by Tim Cox
Don Vass is the talker; brother Blair, the listener. Both get the 1990 as a loss control representative. Blair joined the company job done for American Mining Insurance Company. seven years later.
In his day, tall and lean, Don is the type of man who could “They both grew up in the coal mining community and they sit around a campfire and relate yarns all night long over the genuinely care about safety for the miners. They are big crackle of burning oaks. On the other side, Blair, also tall and proponents of coal and doing things the right way. They are very lean, is the type that would listen with the enthusiasm of a little important in our underwriting process as our eyes and ears in the boy hearing Wild West stories. coal industry. Every day Don and Blair are on the road, seeing the problems customers face and playing an important role in Their styles differ, but both get the job done as representatives correcting those problems. of AMIC. “They are both big assets to our company,” Chan adds, “like Chandler Cox, Jr. (Chan) and Dominick Giovannelli (Dom) co- family as well as dependable employees. It is critical that we founded AMIC in 1989. The company was acquired by a Fortune have reps like Don and Blair who know what they’re looking at 500 Insurance Holding Company, W.R. Berkley Corporation, in and to see that a mine is running in safe fashion. 2007, but Chan and Dom continue in their respective roles as President and Executive Vice President. Don Vass was hired in “They not only talk the talk, they walk the walk.”
18 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Blair Vass (r) with Sam McCroskey (Munich Reinsurance Company) at A.J. Taft Coal Company. photo by Joe Watts
THE BROTHERS VASS:
Safety On Their Minds at the Mines By Al Skinner
Blair Vass photo by Tim Cox
hen Chandler Cox of American Mining Insurance Co. of Birmingham, Alabama, sought out coal-smart people to serve as loss control representatives, he hit the mother lode when he found the Brothers Vass, third generation veteran coal miners who travel the eastern states ferreting W out safety inconsistencies in mines wanting to qualify for insurance. In this day and age, safety has moved ahead of production as a “must” factor in mining coal. Cox’s theory is “what better way to verify a company’s qualifications than to have experienced, former miners conduct the loss control tours.”
Don and Blair Vass have multiple years as coal miners, both starting at the very bottom and working their way to supervisory levels. They have an insight into mine safety that affords them an innate perspective. They know what to look for, and where and how to find it. To coin a phrase, ”they’ve been there, done that”.
“When I go underground at these mines,” Don explains, “I’m not there to make sure they have a porta-potty. I’ve got more important things to do. continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 19 Vass continued “My inspections start when I hit the haul road. As I’m heading up, I look at the shape of the road to see if the berm is proper, then I check the water pumps, the overhead power lines, and anything else that doesn’t look right.
“Most of the operators are responsible and appreciate our suggestions, but we do have the non-conformists on occasion. On one trip where the haul road was straight up and there was no berm on the drop off side, I noticed a pond in the hollow that was black and gooey with dirt and mud and filled with coal fines. It was black and ugly. When I got to the top, I called this to the operator’s attention, and I asked him if he was going to fix the berm and clean the pond. There was a house Mine tour at Drummond Coal’s Shoal Creek Mine near Birmingham, AL. near the pond with children playing, and I was concerned for their safety. He said he wanted and needed the insurance, but observed. been watered down to hold the dust and he wasn’t going to make any changes. He the overall condition of the road. said if you’re going to write the insurance, Blair echoes Don’s words. Their loss then write it. If not, then don’t.” control tours are alike. “First thing I look “When I’m on a surface job, I look at for are the signs,” Blair says, “to see if the equipment and make sure it’s in States shut down operations that don’t they are up. I check the roadway and good working order and, if the alarms have insurance. No insurance is a the communication between the truckers are working, the condition of the “red flag” signal that safety isn’t being hauling coal in and out. I see if the road’s highwalls, how high it is and the overall
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20 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com communications among the workers. I I can get a good idea of roof conditions. August of 1990. He started out covering also find out who does the blasting and if I check the power center to see if the seven states, but today covers Virginia it is a certified blaster or contract blaster. rubber mats are down, check the cat and Kentucky. Blair joined AMIC seven heads and check to see if the lock-out, years later, on Don’s recommendation. “Most of the operators are easy to get along tag-out system works with continuous Today he covers West Virginia, Illinois, with, and they take my recommendations. miners.” South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Drug testing is another issue that we get and Kentucky. He travels 1,500 miles complete cooperation with.” “I feel a strong responsibility to keep the a week on average and inspects mines safe. I feel I am the eyes and ears about three to four mines in that time, When the Vass brothers enter an of safety inside the mines,” Don says. sometimes more, depending on the underground mine, every facet of safety distance and mine condition. is scrutinized. “I check the condition of the “There are a thousand and one things to mine going in, the ribs, the rock dusting, look at,” Blair adds. “We look at the little Don has logged more than two million the condition of the haul and travel ways, things as well as the big things. One of miles during his time with AMIC and has the life line and markers. I check for the biggest problems is keeping the men been in over 400 mines. “Some I’ve been proper ventilation and guards on the belt wearing their safety goggles, mainly the in hundreds of times. Some only once. drives as well,” Blair says. roof bolters.” You get a real view about things going on from A to Z.” He averages from 45,000 Inside the mines, the brothers try to get Once thoroughly inspected, to 50,000 miles a year. “It gets mighty a feel for the attitude of the workers. Don recommendations are made to the lonesome on the road,” Don says. Getting explains that “attitude tells a lot as to mine foreman and, when he complies, around some of these mines today at whether the guys are going to cooperate. American Mining Insurance issues him age 63 is more of a challenge than what Most of them work with us. For the most the proper insurance coverage. “Ninety it used to be. My mind is still young but part, people want to do the right thing. If percent of the time, the operators will do the body says no. I have no thoughts of they are defiant, the state will close them what is necessary to get insurance,” the retirement. I thoroughly enjoy my work. down, they don’t get insurance and the brothers say. When they have enough I’ve had some great experiences, but fine is $750 a day until unsafe issues are good material for the underwriter, then it’s now I’m getting a little long in the tooth.” corrected. a “go.” Squeezing his 6’4” frame into 22-inch “As I’m going in, I’m laying on my back and Don joined American Mining Insurance on continue
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 21 Vass continued
Mine tour group which includes employees with Munich Reinsurance Company, Ernst & Young, and American Mining Insurance Company at Blue Ridge Sand and Gravel in Winfield, AL. coal is no picnic for Don. “I’ve been in customers, and I traveled those old coal Mr. Jacks. He had a big influence on me, seams as high as 20 feet high and 20 roads, come rain or shine. My father the best teacher I ever had and a good feet wide. Low seam coal is spooky,” always said ‘if it wasn’t worth doing right, friend.” Don says, “you can’t see anything and, don’t do it’ and that stuck with me down in case of an injury, it’s so tight there’s no through the years. He said ‘don’t beat Blair had a different mindset; he made a way to do CPR or first aid work. At 6’1”, around the bush, do it right the first time.’ beeline for the coal mines immediately Blair has the same problem in low seam Both mom and dad worked hard all their after graduating from Welch High coal. lives. Mom always had supper ready School. “I never had any plans other than when he came home. Dad never lifted becoming a coal miner right off. My dad Don and Blair were born in Fayette a finger to us kids; he merely gave us a was pushing for us to do something else, County, WV, advancing a third generation look or pointed a finger, and we knew real but I was hard-headed and wanted to go of coal miners. Both their father and fast to stop whatever we were doing that where the money was.” grandfather were coal miners at the wasn’t to his liking.” Milburn Collieries, situated between Pax As a red hat at Island Creek No. 2 Mine, and Montgomery, WV. “I remember both A one-armed miner who never missed Buchanan County, young Blair had the of them well,” Don recalls, “walking down a day’s work had a lasting impression menial duties of sweeping, dusting, the road with a bucket under their arm. on young Don. “He was an older guy and general clean-up work. “I was kind When I was in the second grade, they who walked by our house every day, of scared, not knowing my way out, but both transferred to the Cannelton Coal dedicated to his work and his family.” after a while I got to liking it a lot.” Three Company and Superior Coal Company years after entering the mines, Blair got in Superior, WV, in McDowell County. My The Vass boys were always mindful married and they begat two sons. childhood memories are filled with the of that dreaded siren, which signaled picture of company houses, slate covered trouble in the mines. “Every night that I The smallest mine Blair entered during roads, and coal-filled trains running by went to bed, I prayed to the Lord to watch his mining career was an 18-inch mine, our front door. Life was simple and good over my father and grandfather. Even as and recently went into the Pratt Mines and we made friends who remain with us a young child, that was constantly on my in West Jefferson County, WV, that was to this very day.” mind, especially when they worked the 30 inches high and goes back some late shift.” 2.5 miles. “The low seam mines make Blair added that “we didn’t have a lot, it tough to move around. Mines that low but we were happy. My father and Unlike Blair, Don had no intention require you to lie down to work – you grandfather always brought back a treat of becoming a coal miner. When he usually get on a flat cart and travel to the for us in their lunch boxes. They were graduated from Welch High School, active part of the mine.” lean and dirty from coal dust, faces black. his teacher, Bob Jacks, talked him into That’s how I remember them today. entering college at Concord and later “I like the people I work with every day, to Bluefield State College, pursuing a both the people I work for and those I see “We learned how to work early in life. degree in business administration. “I on mine site visits. Getting to see all the I had a paper route with close to 200 leaned some toward teaching because of different sites and working with so many 22 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com REPRESENTING: AUGUST THIELE rm wilson co. inc. different people keeps things interesting.” Longwall Chain & Accessories BETEK Mine Productivity Systems and Equipment Machinery for construction for Mining was not on Don’s mind in the applications in 10 fi elds. Leading supplier of quality parts BLIZZARD INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY beginning, but after getting married Mine Vent Doors, Manual & Automatic, for the coal mining industry. 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Now, when I go in and do loss Mining Bits, Bit Pullers, Augers, Drill Rods the System 2000 cable handler. control, I’ve done what the miners are LINATEX CORP. RUBBER PRODUCTS Better Rubber, Better Results doing. I understand how they work. I MANSIGN MINING EQUIPMENT CO. know what to look for. When you’ve been Cable Handling Chains Hydraulic Hand Power Tools. Shumar specializes in repairing around mining as long as I have you’ve MILLER EQUIPMENT gearboxes and manufactures and Confi ned Space & Fall Protection markets belt transfers. pretty much seen it all and you can tell Equipment good from bad. MOSEBACH MANUFACTURING Dynamic braking resistors PEWAG INC. nd Tire Protection & Traction Chains “I’ve been with AMIC going on my 22 SAFETY EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES year. When I started out, we did loss Head, Ear & Eye Protection, Etc. Tough As A Junkyard Dog - Guaranteed. SETCO TIRES Because of the abusive environment the control and the auditing. 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When we got there, Dom Industry Leader in Fluid Coupling Technology and Service. Wheeling, WV 26003 Beckley, WV 25802 asked us if we understood how to do an rm wilson co. inc. 800-624-5460 800-232-5539 audit and then quickly did the audit. Then, Price, Utah 84501 Lebanon, VA 24266 Mine Productivity Systems and Equipment 435-637-6950 800-232-5539 the next week, we were turned loose to do audits on our own. We stopped doing auditing in-house about 15 years ago. The audits are now outsourced. goes to the rescue. That’s the way coal splice. Suddenly, the cable gripped me “There’s never a dull moment on this job. miners are, they share a certain bond. I at the leak and I couldn’t let go. It shook There is something different every day. can’t explain it, it’s just there.” me like a rag doll. I couldn’t breathe. I This is a job that is nothing like being on couldn’t talk and I was barely conscious. an assembly line in a factory. Everything Although always safety-conscious, Don I knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t is always changing. You get to meet a lot had a near-death moment that deepened do it. I called on the Lord to help me. At of different people, see a lot of different even further his cognizance of safety. “I that point, I saw my family and I asked types of mines. You see different ways was in a section where there was a lot the Lord to forgive me. I felt I was going of doing things and some of the latest of mud and water, and we had a pump to my heavenly home. About then the developments. And you meet lots of in the water that I waded out to check. mine operator and others saw what was interesting people – I now call a lot of Water was up to my waist. It was near happening. I felt like my body was filling them friends. They invite you into their quitting time and we were pulling pillars up like air in a basketball, and I could feel homes for supper. I’ve really made some and moving equipment to store for the my chest expanding. They kept slapping good friends. night. One of the miners yelled from a at the cable until it finally jerked loose, distance for me to feed him some cable and I collapsed. “ “One fact I learned early was that, union so that his reel could pick it up. The cable or non-union, a coal miner is a coal was underwater and I gripped the cable Don spent three days in the hospital, and miner. If somebody gets hurt, everybody in my bare hand, touching an unprotected totally recovered. continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 23 REGISTRaTION & HOuSING Don’t Miss NOW OpEN! MINING’S CORE EVENT. SEpTEMbER 24-26, 2012 Bigger than ever before, it’s the industry’s most important innovation showcase with over 700,000 sq. ft. of new products and services. Join 38,000+ mining professionals at the center of the mining world to see, learn from experts and experience this one-of-a-kind, once every 4 year event.
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24 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com
MINExpo12_CoalPeople_open.indd 1 12/29/11 4:32 PM Vass continued that, wedges and timbers were the he was going to punch me. Instead, he Blair, too, has had his harrowing moments only support, and miners were always crawled right by me and went out to get in the mines. Once, when he was running exposed to unsupported roofs. some support timbers. He had no safety a shuttle car inside the mines, he heard timbers set. I got to him by talking about what sounded like a crack of thunder. A “Improvements on machinery, education his little girl, and I made him think safety. “mountain bump” had begun and “it felt and all the knowledge being passed down That makes it all worthwhile.” like the whole mountain was coming are a big factor. One important thing we down on us. Everybody got out safely, have to get across is that we can teach Blair emphasized, as well, that but it was scary.” In the high mountains people all day long but, if they don’t put improvements in the roof bolting system of the Blue Ridge area, with a room that learning into action, we’re wasting are a big safety improvement. He added and pillar system, “mountain bumps” everybody’s time. Some people don’t that communications have advanced. “I were common. But it took some serious want to grasp it or apply that training. think another thing that has to be looked “getting used to.” Some of them think of it as a day off with at is safety goggles. I think the rule should pay. They need to take full advantage of read that if a roof bolter is not wearing “When we go to a mine, we’re one of that training. It’s difficult to motivate some safety goggles, he should get a warning. them. They can tell right away that we people. Some are motivated by money, If caught a second time, he should be know what we’re talking about because, others by wanting to stay healthy.” fined along with the company. Fine him in most cases, we have as much or more once, and he’ll get the message. mining experience than they do. We can Don recalls the time he watched a young talk their language,” Blair explained. roof bolter working with no jacks for “It really boils down to the attitude of the protection. “I asked him what he was people. Companies that have a good Safety in the mines today has come a doing, and he said bolting. I asked if he attitude about things tend to be the long way since the Brothers Vass started was married and if he had any children, best to work for, and the attitude of the some 40 years back. “The technology and he said yes. He had a little blonde employees can make a big difference in has improved quite a bit. They’re a lot girl that he carries a candy bar to each their safety.” of new methods, a lot of changes in evening in his lunch bucket. After some technology and equipment. The self- talk about his little girl, I made the In essence, good safety begins with contained rescuers that produce oxygen comment that ‘it’s a shame when that little good attitude. The Brothers Vass have are a major improvement. The ATRS blonde girl learns of your death and starts a heartfelt respect for the coal miner and (automatic temporary roof support) is crying’. He stopped, and just as suddenly his safety. One can be assured of that, to another great development. Before started crawling toward me, and I thought be insured by AMIC.
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 25 New Equipment Making Clean Sweep on Underground Mine Bottoms
David Cline, owner of Rock ‘n Roll Coal
26 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com By Bill Archer
By Bill Archer
he southern Appalachian region coalfields have experienced many underground mine explosions that have resulted in loss of life. One former mine inspector pointed out that mine explosions traditionally bring about change. In the aftermath of the horrible tragedy at Massey’s Upper Big Branch Mine T near Whitesville, Raleigh County, West Virginia, the Federal Mine Safety & Health Administration took action to increase the amount of rock dust mine operators use to neutralize the combustible coal dust and coal fines that constitute the third component of most mine explosions. The first is the release of methane, followed by a spark of ignition.
David Cline, the owner of Rock ‘n Roll Coal, based in Bull Creek, WV, is constantly thinking about ways to make his low-seam mines safer. Cline has been mining the Red Ash seam for the past several years, producing a high-quality metallurgical coal. The seam is about 36-inches thick, and Cline, 59, has devoted the last several years of his career in coal mining to improving safety conditions in his underground mines, as well as adapting existing equipment to work low-seam coal.
In the spring of 2011, Cline observed a street crew in the City of Gary, WV, sweeping the streets to remove the salt and cinders that had collected during a harsh and lengthy winter. Most people have seen street sweepers in action before, but Cline realized that the equipment could have an application in underground coal mining.
Cline contacted the manufacturer of the sweeper, Lay-Mor, bought two units and acquired two 1960s vintage SS 270 Mine Tractors and started making the pneumatic modifications to install the sweeper head unit near the operator’s end of the mine tractor.
“You can find those old mine tractors laying around,” Cline said. “You have to look for them, but they’re out there.”
Cline said he located the sweeper head near the operator’s position to minimize the operator’s exposure to coal dust. “The sweeper is going with the air all the time,” Cline said. “That way, you keep the dust from coming back on the operator.”
Although the Red Ash seam is not known to be a particularly gassy continue
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28 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Clean Sweep continued coal seam, any underground coal mining can disturb pockets of Advertiser in Action www.jhfletcher.com highly combustible coalbed methane. Despite all precautions to minimize sparks underground, methane can ignite. Coal operators, Fletcher Celebrates 75th Anniversary miners, mine inspectors, and mine rescue team members have long known that the blast from a localized methane ignition can stir up coal dust and fines creating the potential from a much larger secondary explosion fueled by coal dust suspended in the air.
The coalfields of the southern Appalachian region have witnessed great loss of life in mine explosions since the late 1800s, and while advances in underground coal mine safety have dramatically reduced the number of mine fatalities, mine mechanization during the past 80 years has caused more challenges to emerge.
Rock dusting the ribs, top and bottom of underground coal mines has become a way of reducing the risk of a coal dust explosion. Some of the first safety measures that came out after the terrible explosion that claimed the lives of 29 coal miners on April 5, 2010, at Upper Big Branch, called for an immediate increase in the percentage of rock dust used in underground coal mines.
“You keep water on the head of the continuous miner to keep the J.H. Fletcher & Co. of Huntington, WV, is this year dust down and reduce the risk of explosion,” Cline said. “This celebrating 75 years of service to the coal mining sweeper can be a life saver. The more that coal dust builds up on industry. The company was founded in Chicago, the bottom, the greater the risk for an explosion. You get that chain Illinois in 1937, by James Herbert Fletcher, with the reaction from the release of methane, an ignition that gets all that idea that rubber-tired technology, already being used dust up in the air and another big explosion. underground in industrial minerals, could be applied to the coal mining industry. “This sweeper will clean the bottom down to where it looks like a cement floor,” he said. “After you clean it up, and move it into a pile, After moving to Huntington, West Virginia in the 1940s, you come along with a scoop and push it right on up to the face. Fletcher soon became a pioneer in the production of Once you bring the (continuous miner) equipment back in, you can roof bolters. Advancements in safety and productivity load it on out on the conveyor belts.” of roof bolting in the USA have always been associated with Fletcher, who invented and patented aspects of Cline has been using the sweepers for about six months. “The the automated temporary roof support system (ATRS). mine inspectors liked it,” he said. “Anything that takes that dust out In 2000, the company expanded its line of production to of there reduced the potential for an explosion. If you don’t have include the industrial mineral and rock division. the dust, there is less of a risk for an explosion.” “We are proud that for 75 years, Fletcher has provided Cline said that miners have to adapt to the differences due to the equipment to the underground mining industry that absence of coal dust on the bottom of the mine. “It’s hard on your enhances the safety of the work environment and knee pads,” he said. “It’s hard on your crawl because it’s all rock. increases productivity.” said Greg Hinshaw, CEO. Since there’s no coal on it, there’s nothing to keep the bottom soft.” “Fletcher is built on a strong foundation of family values. In addition, he said that mantrip operators find travel from the entry We are blessed with a strong supplier base, dedicated to the face more difficult, “because there’s no coal dust filling in the employees, and customers who appreciate the value ruts on the bottom.” of our products and services. The future for Fletcher is rich with opportunity. Our presence is increasing “After you clean it up, you don’t need as much rock dust to make world wide and our breadth continues to grow. Our the mine safe,” Cline said. “It stays in there better. We’ve been experience and expertise give us a firm foundation as using it for four to six months, and it has been doing a good job we look confidently to the future.” for us.” Today, Fletcher is the world’s leading manufacturer of Cline said the coal dust and fines are removed from the mine custom-built roof bolting machines, designed to meet along with the coal the mine produces. However, he added that a variety of specific mining needs, along with an entire the removal of the coal dust doesn’t impact the mine’s production line of technological machinery focused on worker totals. “It’s a lifesaver,” he said. safety and productivity in underground industrial mineral and coal mines. Cline said that the fiber and steel brushes on the Lay-Mor sweeper Fletcher will recognize its employees that have made heads last as long as they would under more traditional street- 75 years possible, in October of this year. The event sweeping applications. His primary concerns in developing the new will be hosted in Huntington, WV for employees, family, equipment were to make underground coal mines safer by reducing friends, and special guests. the amount of coal dust on the mine bottom, and maintaining a safe position for the sweeper operator that keeps the coal miner out of the dust that is kicked up in the process. MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 29 SAFETY news 2012 ALPHA TO BUILD SAFETY TRAINING Elk opened in 1982 and has operated for and permits; occupational health; and more than 12 years without a Colorado incident reporting and investigation. FACILITY SMCRA environmental violation. In 2011, more than 374 West Elk employees With a projected implementation Alpha Natural Resources has agreed to produced over 6 million tons of low-sulfur date of December 2014 are behavior build a “state-of-the-art” mine safety and coal. The mine contributed USD 25.5 optimization; safety and health training facility in Julian, WV, as part of its million in taxes and royalties to the State management assurance; assurance; obligations to settle with the Department of Colorado in 2011. and documentation and information of Justice in regard to the Upper Big management. The last two, to be Branch mine disaster. “We will be able KESTREL CONDUCTS SNAKE SAFETY implemented December 2015, are to simulate fire, smoke, give people the engineering and construction; and experience of learning the process, as COURSE contractor management and purchasing. opposed to putting them underground Visit the website at www.coresafety.org. as a red hat with an experienced miner Rio Tinto’s Kestrel mine recently held a so they will be more up to speed than snake safety course for its workers. With INSPECTIONS IMPROVING MINE they would be otherwise,” CEO Kevin more than 120 species of snakes living Crutchfield said. The facility is to include in Queensland, and almost two-thirds of SAFETY a mine lab of approximately 96,000 sq. them being venomous, it is paramount feet where simulated mine situations and that Kestrel mine workers know how to US Mine Safety and Health Administration conditions can be presented to certified act safely in the chance they come into (MSHA) Director Joe Main says supervisors and examiners to solve contact with a snake. aggressive inspections at troubled mines and correct, facilities and equipment are creating safer working environments for electrical and maintenance skills The courses are run by a professional for coal miners. training, and facilities and equipment snake handler and have been operating for supervisory leadership skills training. at Kestrel since 2009. During the course Freddie Lewis, executive director of The facility will be open to other mining employees learn about useful strategies the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and firms and is to be opened by no later than and training on how to handle a snake if Licensing, met with Main and discussed the second quarter of 2013. Alpha will be they see one or are bitten. ways to share information and work to required to employ a full-time staff at the get better compliance out of scofflaw facility and develop curricula in technical PEABODY, ARCH ENDORSE CORESAFETY operators. skills, operator skills, supervisory skills, various certifications, safety compliance Peabody Energy and Arch Coal have “If we have an operator in our state and professional skills. endorsed the Coresafety safety and (Kentucky), that is what you might call health management system, developed an outlaw, rogue operator. We want to ARCH COAL WINS COLORADO SAFETY by mine safety professionals. work together and use whatever means AWARD necessary to take care of that problem,” Lewis said. “By following a comprehensive safety philosophy, we believe it is possible Mountain Coal Company’s West Elk mine Main and Lewis agreed that stepped-up for the US mining industry to eliminate and Ark Land Company of Arch Coal inspections and enforcement at troubled fatalities and reduce the rate of mine- were honored with the top coal miner mines are crucial to improving safety in related injuries by 50 percent within the safety award and two state environmental the industry. Main says MSHA’s “Impact next five years,” says Arch CEO Steven awards by the National Western Mining inspections” take extra steps to keep coal Leer. Association in Denver, CO. operators from giving advance warning to miners when inspectors show up. The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Coresafety is designed to complement Mining and Safety presented the each mining company’s existing safety MSHA announced earlier that impact Excellence in Safety Award to the West practices, consisting of 20 modules. The inspections caught West Virginia coal Elk mine, the state’s leader among large first six modules will be implemented companies on three occasions illegally underground mines. West Elk’s rate of this December and include leadership warning miners that federal inspectors 1.70 MSHA total incident per 200,000 development; responsibility and were onsite. employee hours was 68% lower than accountability; management system the national underground average of coordination; fatality prevention and risk “There’s a number of operators who 5.28 incidents. This marks the third management; training and competence; do operate safe mines every day and consecutive year that West Elk has and emergency management. there are some that just challenge been recognized as Colorado’s safest the law,” said Main. For the special underground coal mine. The next eight, with an implementation inspections, investigators show up at date of December 2013, include the mines unannounced in unmarked Mountain Coal and Ark Land Company culture enhancement; collaboration cars and attempt to get into the mine are subsidiaries of Arch Coal, Inc. and communication; reinforcement and while preventing workers outside from Mountain Coal Company’s West Elk recognition; resources and planning; calling in a warning. In some case, the mine is located in Somerset, CO. West change management; work procedures inspectors walk a great distance into the 30 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com mine on foot to maintain the element of surprise.
Main said the inspections, along with the use of a federal court process that can put a mine under a federal judge’s oversight, have led to safer working conditions across the industry.
US coal mining deaths dropped in 2011 to the second lowest level since the federal government began keeping records more than a century ago. There were 21 deaths nationally, with eight in Kentucky and six in West Virginia, down from 48 in 2010. MSHA TIGHTENS UG MINE SAFETY RULES
A new federal rule that will take effect this August 5 will require underground coal mine operators to examine more thoroughly, and correct, hazardous conditions that pose the greatest threat to miners, including the kinds of conditions that led to the deadly 2010 explosion at Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia.
The aim of the rule is to reduce injuries and fatalities. Additionally, mine owners must review federal inspectors’ findings with internal mine examiners every three months to ensure that the company’s own inspectors focus on problems federal inspectors have identified.
Mine operators already are required to conduct frequent general inspections, but the rule change specifies nine specific areas they must check: ventilation, methane, roof control, combustible materials, rock dusts, guarding and other safeguards. www.minesafe-electronics.com
“Mine operators need to be doing a better job inspecting their own mines,” said MSHA’s Joe Main. “This rule goes a long ultra-portable refuge chamber range, a control system required no permanent way toward making sure mine operators small, highly portable rescue chamber connection to mains ‘mine’ electrical do a better job finding and fixing hazards suitable for tight underground confines power and can be left on ‘stand by’ for to protect their own miners.” such as single entry-headings and extended periods of time, for up to three development areas. The HRM-ELVP months. Batteries inside provide enough MSHA estimates that it will cost mining (Hard Rock Mine – Extra Low Voltage power to operate the chamber’s internal companies $17 million to implement Portable) is available in both 4 and 6 life support system for between 36 to 96 the rule change at the nation’s 580 person models and uses a revolutionary hours. Contact MineARC at +61 (8) 9333 underground coal mines, an average of Extra Low-Voltage control system which 4966 or [email protected]. about $29,000 per mine. powers the chamber’s internal life support systems, including CO/CO2 scrubbing CHINA MOVES TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN MineARC INTRODUCES A NEW and air-conditioning/ dehumidifying. MINES REFUGE CHAMBER Both the HRM4-ELVP and 6-ELVP can be positioned and repositioned with China has urged its coal industry to MineARC Systems announces a new ease. The chamber’s extra low voltage continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 31 Safety news continued improve work safety by ordering mines base is among the world’s largest and Stevenson further explains that if there to invest more in beefing up safety highest quality, with assets including was a layer of combustible dust sitting on facilities and education of workers. The about 150 coal mines and 40 preparation a desk, “you could get it to burn by putting State Administration of Work Safety plants. a flame to it, but it wouldn’t explode. If has raised the minimum requirement you took the torch away it would smolder for safety investment for coal mining Protecting Coal Handling Plants and most would self extinguish; but, if companies. Under the new rules, coal from Catastrophic Combustible you take the same dust, throw it in the air mining enterprises will put aside at least Coal Dust Explosions and then light it on fire, it would literally 30 yuan ($4.8) for each ton of coal output blow up in your face,” he says. of mines that have high levels of gas, Industrial vacuums are the right tool for preventing secondary explosions. and 15 yuan for other less dangerous Catastrophic secondary explosions occur mines. The standard is set at 5 yuan for when the force from the primary explosion outdoor mines. The funds will be used The issue of dust explosions has been a hot topic since the early 20th century. In dislodges fugitive dust, producing more for improving safety facilities, safety dust clouds, and creating a domino type education, prevention of health damage, a book published by the NFPA in 1922, titled Dust Explosions, the authors, effect that can cause further explosions. underground shelters, and monitoring So if you took that same dust smoldering equipment of major danger sources. David J. Price and Harold H. Brown, acknowledge the need for a vacuum that on the desk and waved a piece of paper can withstand the rigors of an industrial to make the particles airborne, a dust China’s mines are among the deadliest cloud could form and explode. in the world. Government data showed environment stating that despite every that 1,973 miners were killed in coal mine precaution to capture dust at the source, small amounts of it “will get out into the According to an NFPA Fact Sheet accidents in 2011, although the death toll titled, U.S. Industrial and Manufacturing was down 19 percent compared to that atmosphere of the mill and gather on floors, walls and ledges.” Property Structure Fires, “U.S. fire in 2010. departments responded to an estimated average of 10,500 structure fires in ALPHA RECOGNIZED FOR SAFETY The authors of the book knew then, as it still stands today, “if there is no industrial and manufacturing properties EXCELLENCE accumulation of dust and the plant is per year in 2003-2006,” averaging 29 perfectly clean, the explosion cannot fires per day in the industrial sector. Of Four mines and four preparation plants in propagate and the plant will not be those fires, 29 percent involved shop Alpha Natural Resources’ West Virginia destroyed.” tools or industrial equipment, and the portfolio have earned Sentinels of Safety manufacturing area was the leading certificates from the National Mining Even without a sufficient vacuum cleaner origin of the fires. Association. for industrial environments at the 1922 publishing of the book, the authors Controlling the Explosion Pentagon Bens Creek No. 1, Double Diamond still warned against using brooms and Hatfield Energy deep mines, the and compressed air in housekeeping The explosion pentagon includes the White Flame Surface operation, and the practices because those methods often three elements of the fire triangle, fuel Black Bear, Kepler, Litwar and Stirrat cause dust to be suspended in the (combustible dust), ignition source (heat) and an oxidizer (air), but needs processing plants were each recognized environment during cleaning and could two additional elements, dispersion of for their performances. itself ignite, or would settle back onto dust particles (in sufficient quantity and floors, equipment and beams, lending concentration), and the confinement of Alpha also won the Mountaineer itself to potential secondary explosions the dust cloud (vessel, area or building),. Guardian safety awards and West later. Virginia reclamation awards earlier If one of the elements is missing, a fire, this year from the West Virginia Coal Primary dust explosions occur when or explosion can not occur. While it is Association. Hatfield Energy deep mine combustible dust is present, forms a difficult to remove air and fuel from the and White Flame surface complex dust cloud (in sufficient amounts), in an triangle, the first rule of fire prevention, received Mountaineer Guardians. The enclosed environment, with an ignition and therefore explosion prevention, Litwar processing plant refuse area took source and oxygen. is to eliminate the ignition source. home the coal refuse prep plant award, While most machinery manufacturers and earning the underground mine Bill Stevenson, VP of Engineering at Cv design equipment with safety in mind, reclamation honor was the Kingwood Technology and NFPA 654 committee mechanical equipment is capable of Mining Whitetail operation. member, says, “the explosion is caused malfunctioning, heating up, and causing by the rapid pressure rise as a result of ignitions. Since its acquisition of Massey Energy the rapid burning of the dust cloud. So last June, Alpha controls about five billion it has to be in an enclosure. If it were Although every precaution is taken to tons of reserves in central and northern outside you’d just have a big flash.” eliminate ignition sources to prevent Appalachia, the Illinois Basin and the fires, and dust collection equipment Powder River Basin, and is the second Cv Technology is a Florida based designed to safely contain most of the largest reserve holder in the nation. corporation dedicated to the prevention, dust in the plant, manufacturers must protection, and mitigation of industrial make housekeeping for fugitive dust, that The company’s metallurgical coal reserve dust explosions and related fires. can be formed into a dust cloud, equally 32 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com important to prevent dust explosions. cleaner that is redundantly grounded explosion. The problem he says, “is that in five different ways, “eliminates the it doesn’t account for the different Kst Industrial vacuum cleaners to control possibility of any kind of explosion from values between different dusts. Some fugitive combustible dust should be the vacuum,” says Bobbitt. Although are more reactive than others. Some suitable for use in Class II Div 2 areas. Vac-u-Max does make electric vacuums are more easily suspended into a cloud. “Vacuum cleaners in particular are designed for Class II Div 2 environments, Some tests found that depending on the vulnerable to ignition and that is why the most economical solution for type of dust, even half of the thickness of there are only a few companies that know cleaning combustible fugitive dust is its a paper clip would be too much.” how to do that properly and VAC-U-MAX air-operated vacuums. is one of them that does it right,” says Kst values classify dusts according to Stevenson. “They take extraordinary Beyond the fact that air operated their explosivity—the rate of pressure care to make sure there is no chance vacuums use no electricity and have no rise of a dust in the test vessel upon for the product to come into contact with moving parts, the first of the five ways being ignited. anything ignitable.” that VAC-U-MAX vacuums are grounded begins with the air line that supplies the In situations where many different dusts Vac-u-Max, the pioneer in industrial compressed air to the units. Because are handled, testing all of them can be vacuum cleaning and pneumatic most plants have compressed air lines prohibitively expensive. For instance, conveying since 1954, makes a line made from iron that conducts electricity, in a high performance rubber plant of combustible dust vacuums that are the company’s air operated vacuums where several different products are redundantly grounded and ideal for use static conductive high pressure manufactured within the same plant, the combustible dust. compressed air lines. In addition to dust in each area of the plant may have the static conductive air lines, static different Kst values in each area. For Any time there is powder flowing in one conductive hoses, filters and casters this circumstance it is recommended to direction through a plastic vacuum- are employed to further reduce risk. A work with an expert in the field to select cleaning hose it can create a significant grounding lug and strap that travels from samples for test that represent the worst static electric charge. In addition, there the vacuum head down to the 55-gallon case. is the possibility that there may be static electricity build-up on individual dust drum, eliminates the potential for arcing. This is why, Bobbitt says, that when you particles. If a charged, ungrounded are dealing with explosive dust, you may hose used to vacuum combustible dust Air operated vacuums for combustible powder were to contact an object that dust are safer in terms of grounding, need a Class II Div 2 vacuum in a non was grounded, the static electricity could they also work more efficiently in the Class II Div 2 area. “You might have then arc and trigger a violent explosion. industrial environment. Bobbitt says on explosive dust small quantities, and it This is why OSHA has issued numerous a recent visit to a coal fired electric power might take a very hot and prolonged citations for using standard vacuum plant he was shown five different electric source of ignition, but with the new cleaners where Class II Div 2 equipment vacuums sitting in a warehouse not being combustible dust initiative, facilities is required. used because after 20 minutes, the filters need to be very careful that they comply would bind and workers just didn’t want because there is a lot of question as to The Right Tool for Combustible Dust to use them because they would have to what compliance means.” lift the head from the vacuum and tap the Bill Bobbitt of Bobbitt Associates cake off before they would get any more “Although the regulations for combustible Environmental Systems, who’s been suction. dust aren’t real clear,” Bobbitt says, “I working in the clean air industry for over find that a lot of companies are simply 25 years, says, “I always tell my clients, The power plant and now two sister just trying to get better at general it not a matter of if, but when. Conditions facilities, Bobbitt says, “now use an housecleaning.” have to be perfect and that ‘when’ can air powered VAC-U-MAX model with a be 30 years from now, or it could be next pulse cleaning system on the filters, that Cv Technology’s Stevenson agrees. “The week. But if you eliminate the fugitive with the push of a button releases the one thing you can do very simply and dust, it cannot create a secondary dust dust from the filter and they can resume easily is to keep everything clean—it is as explosion,” he says. cleaning.” simple as that. If you clean the place up and protect your dust collectors, you’ve Bobbitt sees a lot of standard shop type Compliance when Regulations aren’t gone a long way toward minimizing the vacuums in plants. “There are so many Clear chance for an explosion even if you do problems with them. They themselves nothing else and those are pretty straight are hazards in an industrial environment,” Fugitive dust “is a moving target that forward easy things that everyone can he says. First and foremost, they are not changes depending on the nature of the do,” he says. grounded or classified for Class II Div process and how well plants manage 2 areas, they shock workers, they clog keeping the dust contained,” says For more information e-mail info@vac-u- easily and the workers don’t want to use Stevenson. Most NFPA guidelines for max.com; or visit their website www.vac- them, and if workers don’t use them, combustible dust state that a layer of dust u-max.com. fugitive dust is accumulating in the plant. the thickness of a paperclip is enough Log on to www.coalpeople.com Employing an industrial vacuum dust to cause a significant secondary MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 33 CAPSULE news 2012
UBB TO BE PERMANENTLY SEALED somewhat volatile and coal’s been really The Oxbow Elk Creek Mine was opened relatively stable over the years, so it in 2002 and produced about three million The Montcoal, WV, coal mine where an really depends on a lot of the market tons of coal in 2011, according to the explosion killed 29 men two years ago and the business at that time in 2020,” Union Pacific Corp. will be permanently sealed with concrete, he said. Alpha Natural Resources reports. Alpha Plans for 160 new coal-fired plants acquired the mine when it bought out The federal Environmental Protection in the US have been scrapped over Massey Energy and said recently that Agency has proposed new limits for the past decade, largely due to rising it will seal the portals – large tunnels greenhouse gas emissions from all costs and inability to compete in today’s miners use to get underground – at the future coal-fired power plants. Critics energy markets. Long-term forecasts Upper Big Branch mine. Boreholes will say those proposals, though, can only are for growth in solar energy and be plugged and shafts that house the be reached with the help of carbon natural gas, but not for coal. While the huge industrial fans meant to sweep capture technology that is not yet widely US is dependent on coal for about half bad air out of the mine will be capped available. its electricity, today’s growth is in low- to prevent any access. The job will be carbon sources, renewable energy and finished this summer. “The technology does exist,” Ciferno efficiency. said. And, he says in the coming years, “Everyone still has vivid memories of the carbon capture process will only get The ALL Family of Companies, the tragedy and the suffering the miners’ better. The National Energy Technology Cleveland, OH, has committed to the families endured,” Chief Executive Office Laboratory, NETL, is part of the US purchase of five Liebherr all terrain Kevin Crutchfield said. “For all of us in the Department of Energy. It has sites in mobile cranes; two LTM 1220-5.2, mining industry, it is a solemn reminder Morgantown, WV; Pittsburgh, PA; and two LTM 1100-4.2 and one LTM 1350- of why we must always put safety first in Albany, NY. 6.1 models. The package bolsters everything we do.” the midrange capacity of the ALL fleet. The 265-ton 5-axle LTM 1220- THE TECHNOLOGY DOES EXIST Consumption of coal in North America 5.2 is engineered for maximum lifting is expected to grow to 940.4 million performance. The 110-ton LTM 1100-4.2 The Director of the National Energy metric tons over the next eight years, as is a top capacity member of the 4-axle Technology Laboratory’s Office of Coal a result of demand from several planned mobile crane class. The 400-ton LTM and Power Research and Development US power plants due for completion by 1350-6.1 sets the benchmark for the says clean coal technology will be a 2015, with a combined capacity addition 6-axle crane class. viable option in the US within the next of 11.5 GW, according to GBI Research. ten years. Coal consumption is expected to remain The Pennsylvania Department of strong, despite government regulations Environmental Protection approved “We do have technologies today, but that seek to curb coal’s use, the report the installation of $725 million pollution they’re small scale and they’re quite adds. North America (excluding Mexico) controls at Edison Mission Energy’s expensive and energy intensive,” Jared produced about 1,027MMt during 2011, coal-fired Homer City Generating Station Ciferno said on MetroNews Talkline. accounting for around 14.1 percent of in Indiana County, 50 miles east of total global coal production. During the Pittsburgh. The 1,884-megawatt power According to Ciferno, about 30 of those same year, power generation accounted plant, operated by EME and owned carbon capture sites, those that retain for 910.3 MMt, or 93 percent of total by General Electric, has long been the pollution from the burning of coal, coal consumption in North America. EIA considered one of the most polluting in are either under construction or being says electricity generation from coal will the nation. According to the companies, designed in the US right now. decline by nearly 5 percent in 2012, but the new controls will reduce annual will increase by 3.8 percent in 2013, as emissions of sulfur dioxides by 100,000 However, he says the industry will soon projected coal prices to the power sector tons a year or 84 percent, mercury by be going through big changes. 90 percent and soot by 57 percent. fall slightly while natural gas prices Environmental organizations were critical increase, and coal regains some of its “By 2020, you will have some technology of the project. The 43-year old plant power sector generation share. to be able to capture at a large scale employs 265 and generates enough power plant, 500 megawatts, and then electricity to light 2 million homes. take that CO2 and transport it via a A Federal Bureau of Land Management lease for 786 acres of federal coal pipeline for end use,” Ciferno said. Petitto Mine Equipment of deposits at the Elk Creek Mine, near Morgantown, WV, has made its first Somerset, Gunnison County, CO, has As for the costs associated with such sale of equipment to the Datong been approved by the Interior Board of carbon capture technology, Ciferno Coal Mine Group. The company sold Land Appeals. There are 3.96 million tons estimates prices will be 50 percent to 60 the Petitto Mule diesel longwall shield percent higher to implement it in 2020, of recoverable federal coal tied to the remover, designed to make for safer but significantly lower by 2030. tract, which would produce $6.3 million and more efficient work, to the Shanxi in royalties, half of which goes to the province operator. The Petitto Mule “The history of natural gas has been federal government and half to Colorado. evolved from a 10-ton prototype to a 34 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Advertiser in Action www.strataworldwide.com
The STRATA WORLDWIDE 120 PSI Reinforced STRATACRETE SEAL 55-ton machine and was currently the Receives MSHA Approval industry’s largest available unit. It is believed to be the first successful deal to Strata Worldwide’s new 120 psi Reinforced StrataCrete Seal has been be made under a 2010 memorandum of approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). understanding between the state and the Chinese province. The new seal is a cost-effective alternative to other 120 psi seals with improved design features and easy installation. A rebar lattice is constructed then coated Alliance Resource Partners’ wholly- and filled with either a high-strength gunite or a proprietary concrete mix that is owned subsidiary, Alliance Coal, has pumped from the surface. completed the acquisition of all coal- The 120 psi seal is designed for openings up to 12 feet high and 40 feet related assets of Green River Collieries wide with a seal thickness from 31 inches to 48 inches thick. The thickness is in Kentucky, for an undisclosed amount. determined by the dimensions of the proposed seal location. The StrataCrete The purchase includes an estimated seal is specially designed to fit into areas that have limited space, such as in 40 million tons of coal reserves in the front of existing seals. West Kentucky No. 9 coal seam and the Onton No. 9, located near Sebree. The MSHA approved the Reinforced StrataCrete Seal on April 5, 2012. The MSHA underground mining complex operates approval number is 120M-14.0. three continuous mining units employing room-and-pillar mining techniques. An For more information, please contact Mike Fabio air shaft is currently under construction, at 724-256-0284 or Jeff Waggett at 740-695-6880. which will allow the addition of a fourth continuous mining unit.
Michelin North America, Greenville, Solutions at power plants in 10 states. water development and general state SC, has broken ground for a new The turnkey CyClean process will reduce revenues. But since 2008, when coal Earthmover tire manufacturing plant future emissions and help coal-fired companies mined 460 million tons, in Anderson County, SC. The company power plants meet the “placed-in-service” coal production in Wyoming has been is also expanding its existing Earthmover requirements of the IRS Section 45 tax fluctuating. About 430 million tons were tire facility in Lexington, SC. The credit program for the use of refined mined in 2009 and 440 million tons in two projects represent a $750 million coal. CyClean is a patented refined coal 2010. However, the price of Wyoming investment and will create up to 500 new technology that enhances combustion coal continues to be low. In the past six jobs. This announcement is in addition and reduces emissions of Powder River months, it dropped from $14 to $6 per to Michelin’s 2011 commitment to add Basin coal burned in cyclone boilers. ton. an estimated 270 jobs and invest $200 Helmkamp also worked with Clean Coal million in its existing Lexington passenger Solutions to install and demonstrate their US coal mining accounted for more and light truck tire manufacturing facility. new M45 refined coal solution at power than 154,000 direct and 555,000 total This expanded operation at Lexington plants in Mississippi and Texas. M45 jobs in 2008 during the depths of will begin production in October. is another new technology that reduces the recession, according to a Price emissions of mercury by more than Waterhouse Coopers study. Based on US coal exports topped 107 million 40 percent and NOx by more than 20 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, average tons worth almost $16 billion in 2011, percent, meeting the standards needed coal mining wages and salaries were the highest level since 1991 and more to qualify for the Section 45 tax credits. $72,200, 59 percent higher than the than double the export volume from The EPA Air Toxics Rule, which went into combined average of all private sector 2006. Most of the increase went to effect this February, requires existing jobs. Nevertheless, from its first day, markets in Asia. An AP analysis showed and new coal-fired electricity generating the Administration has waged a war of coal exports to South Korea leapt 81 plants to drastically reduce emissions attrition in Congress, the courts and the percent last year to more than 10 million of heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, federal regulatory arena against coal. tons. India saw a 65 percent jump to 4.5 chromium and nickel by 2015. Refined The legislative assault collapsed when million tons and Japan bought almost 7 coal technologies allow some older coal- Congress rejected cap and trade, and million tons of US coal last year – a 119 fired power plants to meet the reduced the courts have not been kind to the percent increase. Energy Department emissions requirements without having Administration. In a recent case, the EPA forecasts show exports to drop slightly to install costly flue-gas desulfurization claimed the right to revoke a Clean Water over the next two years, then slowly upgrades. Act permit issued to a coal company by climb to about 130 million tons annually the US Army Corps of Engineers, only to by 2030. Countries worldwide consume Coal companies in Wyoming mined have a liberal feral court judge rebuke more than 6 billion tons of coal annually. 438 million tons of coal last year, 80 the Agency for “magical thinking” and for percent of which was mined in the grabbing power against Congressional Helmkamp Construction Co., Powder River Basin. Through taxes, will. But in the regulatory sphere, where East Alton, IL, has completed the royalties and fees, that number translated bureaucrats reign at the expanse of installation of 14 CyClean Refined into $1.2 billion for school construction public transparency and judicial or Coal Facilities for Clean Coal in Wyoming, municipalities, highways, continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 35 Capsule news continued congressional review, the EPA has run unleashed and unchecked. Since 2008, the Administration has proposed or issued thousands of pages of regulations to burden coal-generated electric power. Although often wrong-headed and even contrary to law, these regulations generally have had at least a tenuous connection to cleaner air or water.
TurkPower, New York, has changed its name to SibMet Coal, to better reflect its expanding metallurgical coal focus in Russia. SibMet, which is specifically focused on Siberian coal, recently acquired the Zavyalov Square of the Toguchino coal field located in Russia’s Novosibirsk region. Zavyalov has an estimated 100 million tons of coking coal. Hyster Company, Greenville, NC, has honored its top-performing dealers with the Dealer of Distinction Award, marking the 18th year that Hyster has honored its East Manufacturing, Randolph, OH, dealers for their industry-leading level of performance in all areas of the materials has launched a revitalized version handling business. The award is based on customer satisfaction, dealer performance, of its website, www.eastmfg.com. general management, truck sales, short-term rental, training, aftermarket sales, and Designed to enhance the overall user parts and service operations. Recipients of the 2011 award include: Arnold Machinery experience, the website showcases Co.; MH Equipment, Iowa Division; MH Equipment, Kentuckiana; Pape Material East’s full range of aluminum dump, Handling, Inc., Portland, Eugene, Central Washington, Sacramento and Spokane; flatbed and refuse trailers and heavy duty Sellers Equipment Inc.; and Wajax Industries. Arnold Machinery’s Colorado Division truck accessories. Features an enhanced was named a Dealer of Merit. Pics ID: back row, from left, Chris Blythe, Fred Metzger, dealer locator and highlights East’s trailer Mark Foote, Chris Wetle, Brian Harris, and Kirk Reese. Front Row, from left, John innovation and leadership. Wieland, Bill Meek, Paul Jensen, Dave Sellers and Ken Pollard.
Burning wood to generate electricity can be worse for global warming than burning coal, according to the generators in northwest New Mexico. by Montana households would add Manomet Center for Conservation APS still needs approval from the Federal $103.5 million of new personal income, Sciences in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Energy Regulatory Commission and and $87.7 million in after-tax income, The six month study comes amid must secure a fuel contract for the Four during peak construction. As a result of controversy over the proposed Corners Power Plant with BHP Billton. the continuing operations of the mine, construction of two large wood-burning Officials expect the deal to close late this 1,740 new permanent, year-round jobs power plants in western Massachusetts. year. APS proposed earlier that it would would be created, increasing incomes by Wood burning has been promoted as a spend $294 million in buying Edison’s $125.4 million per year. “green” energy source because growing majority stake in two of Four Corner’s forests can absorb the same amount of newer, cleaner-burning generators, and River Consulting, Columbus, OH, is greenhouse gases that are emitted from close three older units at the plant. ranked as one of the “Top 500 Design burning wood, essentially canceling out Firms” in the country by Engineering the pollutants. But the Manomet study The development of Otter Creek coal News-Record for the fifth consecutive shows that wood burning releases more will produce a state economy that is year. ENR recognizes the top-performing heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the “significantly larger, more prosperous, architectural and engineering firms atmosphere per unit of energy than oil, and more populous than would otherwise annually. River Consulting took the 455th coal, or natural gas. The study shows be the case,” according to the Bureau spot, based on 2011 revenue. that greenhouse gases can take a far of Business and Economic Research longer time for forests to absorb than (BBER) in a study by the University US coal exports to China could more previously thought – a generation or of Montana. Comparing data from a than double to over 12 million tons in more in many cases. If a wood burning scenario of no development with that of 2012 due to depressed freight rates and power plant replaces a coal-fired one, it developing coal and ultimately producing a fall in domestic demand in the US, Coal can take about 20 years before any net 20 million tons of coal annually – the Energy & Resources say. The expected benefits are realized. It can take more study concluded that construction of increase in coal shipments could further than 90 years if a wood burning plant the mine, the new railroad construction, push down coal prices in Asia where a replaces a natural gas plant. and the other associated infrastructure, supply glut following a deluge from the represents a total investment approaching US and Colombia has forced prices to The Arizona Public Service Co. is $1 billion and is expected to create 2,000 slump recently. proceeding with a buyout of two construction jobs in the peak building Southern California Edison coal year. The impacts on income received United Coal has closed down 36 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Advertiser in Action www.mineradio.com operations at its Whitesburg mine in eastern Kentucky. The company’s Communications Sapphire Coal division will reportedly Partnership Brings furlough 163 workers at the Advantage Increased Range of mine near Whitesburg by June 16. Products and Services Advantage mine, located in Letcher County, produced almost 361,000 tons in to the Papua New Guinea 2011 and nearly 85,000 tons to date this Market year. No information was made available on plans for the other two mines in the Leading Papua New Guinea Sapphire complex – UZ and the Smoot radio communications Creek surface mine. company, TE (PNG), has partnered with Mine Radio Systems (MRS) Pacific to develop a market Patriot Coal Corp. is permanently leading communications service. closing its Freedom underground mine in eastern Henderson County, Long known for their meticulous technical support and client-first customer KY, this summer causing the loss of jobs service, TE (PNG) supplies Papua New Guinea with a wide array of for 156 active miners and possibly more. products and services for the mining and tunneling sectors. In addition to the jobs lost at Freedom mine, another seven people could lose “With TE (PNG)’s strong support, combined with the global experience jobs at the Bluegrass mining complex of Mine Radio Systems (MRS), TE (PNG) provides Papua New Guinea office in Henderson, and up to 37 people with world class products and services for the mining and tunnelling may be let go from the Grand Eagle sectors,” says Graeme Corbett, Managing Director, MRS Pacific. coal preparation plant in Henderson, according to WARN, pushing the total Partnering with TE (PNG) has given both companies the opportunity to layoffs to 200 people. expand their current operations, increasing the manufacture and deployment of their advanced safety and communications systems worldwide. Walter Energy Inc., Birmingham, AL, is laying the groundwork for a $800 “Our partnership with MRS, with their wealth of technical expertise in the million project that would result in a mining and tunnelling arena and their solid reputation, will further establish massive coal mine employing hundreds TE (PNG) as the foremost company in the radio communication field within of workers in Tuscaloosa County. Papua New Guinea,” says Bob Taylor, General Manager TE (PNG) Ltd. Although the Blue Creek coal mine project is moving forward as planned, it MRS maintains a commitment to the development of technologies that has not been approved by government enhance the value of existing communication infrastructures for mining and regulators or company directors. If all tunnelling. Through this development and implementation, MRS leads the permitting and planning goes well and is way in establishing communication networks through the use of proprietary approved, the mine would have a 45-year innovations including Voice, Video, Data and Safety applications. lifespan and produce between 2.5 million and 3.5 million tons of metallurgical coal TE (PNG) Ltd. supplies specialist radio and communication products, each year while employing hundreds of service and support to the Papua New Guinea market. They have a people for decades, the company reports. modern radio communications workshop in Port Moresby, staffed with trained support techs, as well as a branch office in Lae. Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, Inc., of Wisconsin, a member of the ALL TE (PNG) success stories include: Erection Crane Rental Family of • Installed over 1,200 HF radio installations at remote Health Centers Companies, was chosen as a finalist throughout the nation and a control station located in Port Moresby for the for the 2011 Wisconsin Corporate Safety National Health Radio Network. • Supplied communication needs to the mining, commercial and Award,, sponsored by the Wisconsin government sectors and recently won the tender to implement the GMDSS Safety Council and the Wisconsin Project for the National Maritime Safety Authority. Department of Workforce Development, and honors leaders in Wisconsin’s TE (PNG) attributes their continuing success to a highly professional, business community for achieving systematic approach to every project and a client driven philosophy that excellence in safety and health. includes comprehensive support after the sale.
A long standing commitment to PNG gives the companies a unique window Send news to into the local environment, a real advantage when it comes to delivering [email protected] high level, customer focused, communication and safety products and services in Papua New Guinea. Visit www.coalpeople.com for 2012 Editorial Calendar For more information visit TE (PNG)’s website, www.tepng.com or the MRS website, www.mineradio.com.
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 37 ENERGY news 2012
New renewable energy generation is grew, there was a fall in annual additions Denmark in 2007. During the forecast now cheaper than new coal generation in 2010 by 10.9 percent as major wind period 2011-2020, the total global in Michigan, and could be a $5 billion markets such as the US, Germany and offshore and wind installed capacity is annual industry, reports the Michigan Spain faced economic problems following expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.8 Public Service Commission (PSC). the global economic crisis. Global wind percent from 4,782.9 MW to 80,044.5 New wind, biomass, landfill gas, and power markets are expected to recover MW. The sudden rise in capacity in 2020 hydroelectric generation all cost less than in 2011 due to the huge order intake is mainly due to a capacity addition of new advanced-supercritical pulverized by major wind manufacturers, the Asia- 13 GW expected in UK and 2000 MW in coal plants with a 40-year life cycle, Pacific region, emerging South America China. according to PSC. The report finds “the and Africa regions, steady European cost of all renewable energy technologies wind markets, and recovery in North Global investments in clean energy is less than the coal guidepost rate” America. reached a record of $250 billion of $133/MWh. The combined average last year. Solar energy accounted for levelized renewable energy contract Joule Africa has signed a more than half of these investments at prices for Consumers Energy and Detroit memorandum of understanding $132 billion, with wind energy winding Edison from 2009-2011 are at last $12 (MOU) to develop a $1 billion MW kpep up at $72 billion, reports the Climate cheaper per MWh compared to coal. Hydroelectric Project in Cameroon, Institute. In Australia this development a Central African nation. The project has mainly been driven by installation The Chinese gas turbine market is will boost the country’s current installed of solar panels on homes. Australia expected to see considerable growth power generation capacity by at least 40 invested $4.7 billion in clean energy in over the forecast period of 2012 to percent, it is reported. 2011, which is 11 percent more than the 2020. Rising electricity demand is the previous year. The report also shows a biggest driver for the gas turbine market. Sasol reports it is well advanced global trend of increased investments in An increase in natural gas demand led with a feasibility investigation into renewable energy. Other drivers relate to to a restricted gas supply which had a 140 MW gas-fired power plant to economy, innovation, rural and industrial adversely affected the market, but this be developed near Ressano Garcia, in development and the reduction in carbon is expected to ease during the forecast Mozambique. The project may be a joint and other pollution. The global leader of th period. The 12 Five Year Plan focuses venture between Sasol and state-owned investments in clean energy is the US, on promoting cleaner energy sources Utility Electricadade de Mocambique. followed by China. and decreasing energy intensity, and The project would be a copy of the is expected to boost the construction R1.8 billion,140 MW gas-fired power The Energy & Environmental Research of gas-fired power plants. In China, project currently under development at Center (EERC), at the University average annual gas turbine revenues Sasolburg. The Sasolburg facility formed of North Dakota, Grand Forks, stood at $1,125m during 2000-2011 and part of an initiative within the group ND, has successfully developed and are expected to grow to 1,357m for the to produce 60 percent of its electricity demonstrated a mobile, trailer-mounted period 2012-2020. needs internally by 2013, as well as to biomass gasification technology that reduce its energy consumption by 15 converts wood waste into methanol and Hunton & Williams LLP, New York, NY, percent by 2015. can be transported to remote, off-grid represents Mitsubishi Corporation as sites. The largely automated system project counsel in its acquisition of an Solar power installations in the US uses a unique gasifier to convert the approximate 34 percent equity interest doubled in 2011. The US installed 1,855 wood waste into a blended gas, which in Marena Renovables, circa $l billion, megawatts of solar panels during the is cleaned and compressed and then 396 MW wind power generation project year, up from 887 in 2010, according passed through a gas-to-liquids reactor located on the Isthmus of Tehuantepac to a report by Solar Energy Industries to convert the gas to a liquid fuel – region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Association (SEIA). The US now has a methanol. In Minnesota alone, forestry The project will be jointly developed and total of 4,460 megawatts of solar panels operations produce 300,000 tons a operated by Mitsubishi and its partners, installed. They produce about the same year of wood waste that is not used in Macquarie Mexican Infrastructure amount of power as two medium-sized any existing facility and could potentially Fund and pension fund PGGM of The coal-fired plants over a year, enough to be converted into 30 million gallons of Netherlands. supply about 700,000 typical American methanol using this technology. At that homes with electricity. It is predicted that rate, the methanol could be used to The global wind energy market installations will rise to 2,800 MW in 2012 create as much as 150,000 megawatt witnessed a huge growth from 2009 and to 8,000 MW a year by 2016. hours of electricity using fuel cells in to 2010, as total wind power capacity remote locations. grew by 22.3 percent. Global wind During 2001-2010 the installed energy installed capacity increased at a capacity of offshore wind globally compound annual growth rate (CAGR) grew from 54 MW to 2,862.9 MW at a of 27.9 percent from 74,107 megawatt in CAGR of 55.5 percent. The growth in Total Circulation: 14,380 2006 to 198,203 MW in 2010, of which capacity during this period was driven by Qualified recipients include owners 36,100 MW came online in 2010, reports the commissioning of new offshore wind and corporate management, operating Progressive Digital Media. Although farms with installed capacities of 2,119 management, and other titled and non- the cumulative capacity for wind power MW in the UK in 2010 and 749 MW in titled personnel. 38 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com COAL PEOPLE in the news 2012 Brian Bieller Paul Vining appointed Whitney Calvert joins appointed Atlas Copco president of Alpha Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Construction Equipment, Natural Resources, Cincinnati, OH, at its Commerce City, CO, Inc., Bristol, VA, adding Lexington, KY, office as vice president of to his current role as as a partner in the business development. chief commercial officer corporate department He will be a part of the of the company. He and member of management team. will continue to have the mergers and Most recently Bieller responsibility for sales acquisitions and natural was the sales manager and marketing, and will add responsibility resources practice groups. Calvert will for Atlas Copco Rental, responsible for for Alpha’s mining operations, assuming focus her practice on protecting coal Canada and the western US. Before all the duties of current Alpha president mining companies. joining Atlas Copco’s rental division, he Kurt Kost. Kost is leaving the company served as vice president of sales and Larry Drapeau named store manager following 31 years of service and plans marketing for compaction products at for the Atlas Copco CMT USA store to retire in the Bristol area. Vining Dynapac USA, an Atlas Copco company. started his career as an engineer at St. in Ludlow, MA. He will manage store Joe Minerals. In the early 1980s, he operations while leading local surface transitioned into sales and marketing, drilling equipment sales. holding positions with AT Massey and Other promotions: two major international oil company (top to bottom) Jerry coal subsidiaries, Occidental Petroleum Hackett, appointed and ENI/Italy, focused on international sales representative for projects and market development. Vining the Atlas Copco store in joined Peabody Energy in 1995, and Vista, CA, responsible took a CEO role with Magnum/Trout for the sales of Dynapac Coal in 2006. Vining joined Alpha in 2011 road construction as executive vice president and chief equipment; Kevin House, appointed commercial officer. Patrick Brian (left) has joined Trolex sales representative as global sales director, responsible for Doug Simmons named senior vice for the Atlas Copco heading up the commercial development president of sales and Rocky Mountain of Trolex on a global basis; and David marketing for Freedom store in Denver, CO, Vernon appointed mining sales manager, Industries, Charleston, responsible for sales predominantly responsible for UK WV. Simmons will lead of water well drills, mining operations and UK equipment and support sales and rock drilling tools, and manufacturers, as well as providing marketing activities for geotechnical drilling support for Trolex’s global mining sales. the company. Previously, equipment for multiple He has worked in the coal mining industry Simmons was executive states serviced out of for 36 years. Brian has a background vice president of sales the Rocky Mountain of over 20 years in the mining and and marketing at Fenner Dunlop. He has region; Randy construction equipment industries. more than 30 years experience in the Shamy, appointed mining industry, mergers and acquisitions sales representative Grant Salstrom was appointed managing and international sales. at the Atlas Copco director, Godwin, Xylem, Bridgeport, Rocky Mountain NJ. Salstrom will Gene Howland appointed new sales store, responsible be responsible for manager at Brady for Dynapac sales the growth and Mining, Orem, UT. in the Denver metro development of the Howland will oversee area for a number of Godwin and Flygt all customer sales Atlas Copco drilling brands within the for diamond roof bolt products throughout dewatering market in the products, including Colorado; and Zuhra US. Salstrom will also Viper bits, ceramic dust Dugumovic, appointed oversee the Godwin hogs, diamond-tipped branch and rental manufacturing facility wet bits, reamers and bit administrator at Atlas in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom, and seats, and high-speed drill steel. He has Copco’s Sacramento support global growth as Xylem expands 30 years of experience in international store, and will work it dewatering business around the world. sales, domestic sales, and business to support all branch functions, provide management in mining and surface sales support for Sacramento and the Sarah Williams named finance development. Pacific Northwest region, and will also vice-president of Forbes Coal in handle rental administration. continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 39 Coal People in the news continued Johannesburg. Williams has nine years of Giovanni Pizarro has resigned as chief Knight was previously with Centennial corporate finance experience with initial operating officer of Canada’s Pacific Coal for 14 years as general manager public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, Coal to pursue other interests, and will marketing. Prior to joining Centennial, restructurings and capital raising within be replaced by interim chief executive Knight worked in coal marketing at the resource sector. Williams previously Luis Carvajales. Due to the company Coalex for 18 years. Knight’s immediate worked with South Africa’s Sasfin Bank. operations’ breadth, as well as the focus will be the development of County’s technical expertise required to oversee export coal business in Asia, and to Ian Edwards appointed managing functions, officials confirmed they were expedite early off-take agreements for director of Asian and Iraq operations considering the option of supporting the US coal sourced by the company prior with Leighton Holdings. Edwards, who COO by redistributing some of its roles to supply from its own projects currently replaces Hamish Tyrwhitt after being among the Pacific management team. under development in the Powder River promoted to the role of chief executive in Basin. August last year, will head Leighton Asia, Neil Warburton appointed executive India and Offshore. Edwards has been chairman and acting CEO of Red Jaisen Kohmuench promoted to a newly with Leighton since 2008,and previously Mountain Mining. Chairman Michael created position of deputy managing worked at Gammon Construction and Wolley will remain on the board as an director, Eriez Flotation Division – USA, Eriez, Erie, PA. Kohmuench will Balfour Beatty. independent non-executive director. be responsible for management of all CEO Andrew Richards has stepped aspects of the daily operations for Eriez Samin Tan appointed co-chairman of down to pursue other interests, but will Flotation Division – USA. He joined Eriez Indonesia’s Bumi Plc, replacing Nathaniel consult to the company. more than 10 years ago as a research Rothschild. Tan is the president director engineer and most recently served of coal supplier of PT Borneo Lumbung Mark Core, vice president marketing as manager – R&D Process Group. Energi & Metal. Rothschild will remain on and lifecycle management for Vermeer Kohmuench was the 2007 recipient the board as a non-independent director. Corporation, Pella, IA, named chairman of the SME Woomer Award for young Nalin Rathod has been appointed chief of the 2013 ICUEE Exposition, to be professionals. executive officer at Bumi, and Scott held October 1-3, 2013 at the Kentucky Merrillees replaces Andrew Beckham Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. Todd Rigby joins Rajant Corporation as as chief financial officer. Indra Bakrie ICUEE – the International construction vice president of business development will remain in post as Tan’s co-chairman. and Utility Equipment exposition – is – mining, responsible for overseeing held biennially and is geared to the utility/ the global distribution of Rajant’s Frank R. Lambert has joined Steptoe construction industry, with a focus on the pervasive, multi-frequency wireless & Johnson PLLC, Bridgeport, WV, as electric, phone/cable, sewer/water, gas, solutions, designed for deployment in director of operations, responsible general construction, landscaping and the mining industry. Todd has more for day-to-day operations of the firm, public works sectors. than 20 years of experience in the including facilities, leased properties, mining, heavy construction, wireless employee safety, business continuity, Jingcai Yang, a China coal expert and telecommunications, and oil and gas space planning and firm records. He former senior executive for Shenhua industries. For the past 12 years he will be based in the firm’s Bridgeport Group Corporation Limited, elected to was with Wheeler Machinery Company office. Previously, he served as director the board of directors of L&L Energy, Inc., as general manager of the equipment of operations and human resource for Seattle, WA. Yang has over 30 years of management division. Vendeventer Black LLP in Norfolk, VA, experience, 16 of those with Shenhua, and executive director of Rees, Broome the largest coal company in the world. Shane Roden, Matt Juth, Matt & Diaz, P.C. in Tyson’s Corner, VA. He was formerly chairman and CEO of Huntsman, and Rhodes Barrett Shendong Coal Corp. appointed to new positions with Atlas Graeme Booth appointed chief financial Copco Construction Mining Technique officer for Ambre Energy. Booth will focus John Pegler named chairman of USA, Commerce City, CO. Roden on ensuring that the company’s finances Queensland’s Bandanna Energy. Pegler appointed product manager for GIA and are properly structured and reported final started as a director of Bandanna on raise boring products; Juth appointed preparation for Ambre Energy listing on January 1 of this year. He has 39 years product manager for load/haul/dump the Australian Securities Exchange. He experience in open-cut and underground (LHD) and pedestal boom system is Ambre’s principal liaison for investor resource developments, coal mining and products; Huntsman joins Atlas as relations and is a key member of the processing operations and international product manager for distributor parts and senior executive management team. and domestic coal marketing. Pegler is services; and Barrett appointed product also an Energy Resources of Australia specialist for blasthole drills as part of the John Ziegler, Jr. named vice president of director, the ACA Low Emissions ADS team in Garland, TX. human resources with Arch Coal, Inc., and Technologies chairman, and the will lead Arch’s global human resources Foundation member of the Queensland C. Henry Besten, senior vice president function, which includes responsibility for Clean Coal Council. of strategic development, Arch Coal, Inc., compensation, benefits, organizational plans to retire in June after 40 years of development, labor relations, health and Roger Knight, former general manager service. During his tenure, Besten led wellness, and staffing for a workforce of of marketing with Centennial Coal, joins Arch’s highly successful integration efforts 7,400. Most recently, Ziegler served as County Coal, a newly listed US coal following the acquisitions of International president of Arch Coal Sales. exploration and development company. Coal group and Jacobs Ranch, among 40 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com other operations. Besten was a co- Coal People Magazine’s founder and the original president of the US Coal Trading Association. Best Source for Haydn Lynch joins Xanadu Mines of Mongolia as executive director, leading Event Exposure in 2012! the company’s move to advance its exploration portfolio in the region. Lynch, a senior financial executive within the Australian and international mining • Coal-Gen - August Issue industries, holds a bachelor of mechanical engineering and economics degree from • MINExpo - September the University of Queensland. He holds a master’s degree in finance from the University of New South Wales, and has a financial career that spans more than The Most Unique Blend of Editorial and News in the 18 years.
Tony Harwood has resigned from South Coal Mining / Energy Industry... Africa’s Universal Coal, citing personal reasons. Universal has appointed Comparable to No Other! non-executive director John Hopkins to assume the role of non-executive In-Print and On-Line chairman. Universal is focused on its two flagship assets in South Africa, the Kangala project and the Berenice- Cygnus coking coal project.
Craig Ransley has stepped aside as chairman of Guildford Coal, to be replaced by Peter Lindsay. Ransley will take on the role of non-executive director to focus on “high level strategic issues” and his role as chairman of Guildford’s Mongolian subsidiary Terra Energy. Lindsay was federal member for Herbert from 1996 to 2010. COAL PEOPLE is the most comprehensive and unique Deck S. Slone elected senior vice president, strategy and public policy for editorial blend of human interest and news in the coal Arch Coal, Inc., St. Louis, MO. Slone will have responsibility for strategy formation, mining industry both in print and on-line. planning and energy market analysis. He Visit www.coalpeople.com and see why CPM has been will continue to have senior responsibility for the company’s government and public favored by readers and advertisers for more than 36 years affairs functions as well. Slone also serves on the steering committee of the and is considered the industry’s best read publication! Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization, Total Circulation: 14,380 as well as the advisory committee to the McDonnell International Scholars Qualified recipients include owners and corporate Academy, at Washington University in St. Louis. management, operating management, and other titled personnel. Orhan Taner appointed director in Istanbul, heading the Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit, and representing the Council in Turkey. Taner will be instrumental in furthering the Summit’s goals of advancing regional cooperation, investment, and trade, as well as in promoting new transatlantic partnerships. He will also work towards creating further opportunities for engagement in the region.
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 41 WORLDWIDE news 2012
Rio Tinto and iGATE Corporation of this year, the company reports. The production of 12Mtpa. announce an innovation partnership underground operations are running at that will exclusively focus on creating next about 5.2 million tons a year, while the Oracle Coalfields has a mining lease generation technologies and contribute open pit division had reached its targeted approved by the Pakistan government to global growth and development of Rio output of one million tons a year. on the Thar coalfield, Sindh province, Tinto’s “Mine of the Future” program. which shows a JORC-defined 529 million Australia’s Aquila Resources Ltd wet tons in the area to be mined. Oracle Xstrata has received a go-ahead for its has agreed to sell its 50 percent joint will now implement a pre-development $6.3 billion Wandoan mine in Australia, venture interest in the Isaac Plains program before bringing the mine into potentially the largest thermal coal thermal and coking coal mine in production. The plan is to produce five mine in the southern hemisphere. The Queensland to Japanese trading group million tons of lignite coal per year, with proposed open cut mine in Queensland’s Sumitomo Corp. for $446.5 million. around 1 million tons initially from 2013. Surat Basin would produce 30 million Funds from the sale of its interest in the tons of coal a year for the next 30 years. 2.8 million mt/year output capacity Isaac In just two decades, China has utilized The project has received environmental Plains mine would be used to develop its coal to dramatically improve the approval from both state and federal 50 percent-owned West Pilbara iron ore quality of life for its vast population. governments, and Xstrata is proceeding project. The sale is subject to regulatory Since 1990, coal-based electricity in with the final stage of the mining lease approval. China has increased 500 percent, from application. The project will create 1,400 500 TWh to over 3,000 TWh. GDP per jobs during the construction phase L&L Energy has approval to begin capita increased 600 percent, hundreds and another 900 long-term jobs when initial production at the Weishe of millions of Chinese were taken out operational. complex in China’s Guizhou province, of poverty, and over 95 percent of the the first milestone step in a series population now has electricity. China has ABB, Baden, Switzerland, a power and of approvals necessary to gain final utilized coal to shoulder its way onto the automation technology group, has a approval. The mine has completed center of the global economic stage and, contract to supply gearless mill drives for a government inspection where by 2020, the nation will comprise the six ball mills and twin-drive systems for air ventilation, construction, safety largest economy in the world. eight high pressure grinding rolls at Cerro equipment and extraction practices were Verde copper mine in Peru. ABB’s scope tested for compliance. The company is A fleet of new super critical coal plants of supply includes six 22 MW GMD planning to triple the annual production will be built as part of India’s 12th Five- systems for 27-foot ball mills comprising to 450,000 tons. The mine has 19 million Year plan (2012-2017). In the state of transformers, ring motors and complete tons of reserves. Odisha, for example, NTPC Limited is containerized electrical houses, as well building 4,500 MW of new advanced coal as eight 2X2500kW twin-drive systems Colombia Energy Resources reports generation as well as initiating expansion for HPGRs that include squirrel cage its Ruku Mine has more than 4 million of existing facilities. In addition, Adani induction motors, transformers and tons of coal. The site’s measured and Power is building 3,300 MW of coal ACS1000 frequency converters. indicated resources at 2.4Mt and inferred power in Tiroda and another 1,320 coal at 1.8Mt. Colombia Energy Chief MW in Kawai. As this decade unfolds, Beacon Hill, Johannesburg, expects Ronald Stovash said the report was a Adani alone will have 20,000 MW of coal to ship its first coking coal from the critical step towards acquiring a dual generation capacity. Minas Moatize mine in Mozambique listing in Canada and reaching the long- this summer, the company reports. term goal of producing 1 million tons per Australia’s Linc Energy has formed Beacon Hill has started mining coking year across all the company’s properties a joint venture with GCL products, coal at the Upper Chipanga Pit and aims by 2015. Colombia Energy controls a subsidiary of Hong Kong- based to export some 100,000 tons in 2012. mining concessions over 25,000 acres in Golden Concord Holdings, to The company is working with Vale, Rio the Boyaca region of Colombia. commercialize its underground coal Tinto and the Mozambique government gasification and gas-to-liquids processes to complete refurbishment of the Sena Anglo American plans to double in China. GCL plans to begin building rail line to an initial capacity of 6.5 million production from its 50 percent- its first multi-gasifier project within tons a year by mid-2012, and then to a owned Moranbah South Greenfield six months of completion of binding full operational capacity of 12 million coking coal project to 18 million tons agreements. Linc will hold 33 percent tons later this year. Beacon Hill has a per year after it starts full production in of the joint venture, with GCL taking total mineable reserve of 42.65 million 2017, according to reports. The project, 67 percent and providing $15 million tons, with potential upside of a further 7.9 expected to cost about $2 billion, would as working capital over the first three million tons. be part of the $15 billion earmarked years. GCL will provide $5 million in for expanding Anglo’s coking coal working capital to start site selection and Anglo American’s R4.2-billion Zibulo operations in Queensland over the next engineering for the project in China. Colliery near Ogies, in Mpumalanga, eight years. Construction on the project will reach its targeted output of eight is slated for 2014. The project has a mine The Trans Damodar Coal Mining million tons a year by the third quarter life in excess of 30 years with an average Project at Barjora in West Bengal’s 42 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Fairmont Supply and Pyott Boone enter into Distribution Partnership Bankura district plans an annual Chengdu Railway Bureau in ShinPingBa, production of 1 million tons per year, Guizhou. The addition of this rail loading and to increase to 1.25 million tons a year and storage space will help streamline in the future. The project is spread over L&L’s Guizhou wholesale platform and Fairmont Supply Company, recognized 282 acres, and will be mined both through distribution network, as well as assist nationally as a leader in materials management strategies and maintenance, opencast and underground mining. Coal in supplying the recently contracted repair and operating (MRO) supplies, extracted from Trans Damodar will be 400,000 tons of thermal coal to Datang and Pyott Boone Electronics, the “one utilized for the benefit of the state and the International Power Generation Co., Ltd stop shop” for monitoring, control and and Guodian Yongfu Power Generation construction of 330 acres of coal storage, communications announce the signing of Co. over the next year. The coal storage it is reported. a distribution agreement. capacity of the space is approximately Solid Energy has started up its $A17.5 50,000 tons. The agreement is a perfect fit for both million underground coal gasification companies which will now give Fairmont pilot plant near Huntly in Waikato, Alltura Mining has entered into an Supply a full line to include belt controls, New Zealand. Solid Energy believes agreement to acquire two coal projects mine monitoring, personnel tracking, it is the first in the world to access in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan, and Fire & Dust Control. The PBE energy from a single coal field using located next to the company’s Tabalong MineBoss™ computer system is currently four different technologies: underground thermal coal project. The acquisition will operating in over 300 U.S. mines, and mining, opencast mining, coal seam gas increase Altura’s current tenure holdings products from their conveyor monitoring and underground coal gasification. Solid in Indonesia from 7,661 hectares to and controls, fixed gas monitoring, Energy is considering future options for 17,000 ha. The company is targeting atmospheric monitoring, fire deluge, dust commercial UCG plants, in both New production to begin this year at 500,000 suppression and paging telephone lines Zealand and overseas. tons per year with a long-term plan to are also installed in mining operations all increase up to 1.5 millions per annum. over the globe. ThyssenKrupp Uhde, London, is Fairmont Supply and Pyott Boone are planning a coal-to-liquids project in Johnson Screens (Australia) Pty committed to being leaders in their Mongolia with an expected capacity of Ltd, a Weatherford International Ltd respective arenas and take customer company, Brisbane, Qld, has built and up to 18,000 bbl/day of either gasoline satisfaction and safety personally, all supplied a custom, passive intake screen or diesel, it is reported. The project will while providing added value to the end likely be built at either Tugrug Nuur or for the new 100 MLD seawater, reverse user. Log on to www.fairmontsupply.com Sainshand in Mongolia. TyssenKrupp osmosis desalination plant at Nemmeli in or www.pyottboone.com Uhde is currently working on basic Chennai, India. engineering for a 1 million ton/year methanol-to-gasoline project by China’s
Jincheng Anthracite Coal Mining Group Advertiser in Action www.jhfletcher.com in Shanxi province. ThyssenKrupp Uhde is also in charge of engineering work J.H. Fletcher HV-32 drill for quicker for Jincheng’s existing 100,000 ton/year penetration of harder rock methanol-to gasoline plant in Shanxi province. J.H. Fletcher & Co., global leader in the manufacture of mobile equipment used Whitehaven Coal’s $5.1 billion merger in underground mining, now offers a with Nathan Tinkler-led companies low profile, rotary percussive drill head Aston Resources and Boardwalk designed specifically for roof bolting Resources has been approved by the applications, even in extremely-hard Federal Court, enabling Whitehaven strata. After five years of development, to proceed with acquiring all of Aston’s the HV-32 drill was released for shares. Upon the merger, Whitehaven production and has already found success in coal, limestone and salt mines. will acquire unlisted exploration and The low frequency, high impact nature of the percussion cycle increases drilling development company Boardwalk, which efficiency in hard-to-penetrate rock. owns four coal exploration assets across New South Wales and Queensland. The “The drill was designed taking advantage of my 30-plus years of experience merger of the three companies creates a designing rock drills,” said Ward Morrison, Design Engineering Manager. “This coal company with saleable production has allowed us to design a drill specifically for roof bolting that is even more of 6 million tons per year of coal in the simple, reliable and easy to use.” 2012 financial year, that is expected to Fletcher, which is celebrating its 75th year in business, offers the HV-32 on new increase to 25Mtpa by FY2016. roof bolters as well as retrofit kits, which are fully supported with stock parts.
L&L Energy, Seattle, WA, has acquired For more information, contact Ben Hardman, 304.525.7811 approximately 32,292 square feet of or [email protected] coal storage and rail loading space from MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 43 Visit a Coal People Advertiser at Electric Power Conference & Exhibition
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MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 45 Fugitive Material: How and Why to Control IT
bulk material handling operation is designed to accept the input of a certain amount of raw material, and to reliably deliver that same amount of material A at a predetermined rate to one or more points at the other end of the process. Unfortunately, this seldom happens. Material losses, spillage, emissions, flow restrictions, and blockages can all occur in the handling process, resulting in the loss of production and creating other associated problems. These problems will cost billions of dollars annually across the bulk materials handling industry worldwide.
This report seeks to identify some of the causes of material-handling problems and suggest practical strategies and actions that can be applied to help increase efficiency in solids handling. This is a concept called total material control. Fugitive Material: Material escaping from conveyors is an everyday occurrence in many plants. It is in the forms of spillage and leakage from transfer points, carryback that adheres to the belt past the discharge point and drops off along the conveyor return, or as airborne dust that is carried off the cargo by air currents and the forces of loading and settles on structure, equipment, the ground, etc. Carryback falls under the conveyor, spillage By Jerad Heitzler, falls to the sides, and dust falls on everything, including systems and structures above Martin Engineering the conveyor. However, many conveyors show all of these symptoms, making it more FOUNDATIONS™ Instructor difficult to place the blame on one type of problem.
As an Instructor for Martin Engineer- Fugitive material has been around plants since conveyors were first put into operation; ing’s FOUNDATIONS™ Training Pro- therefore, its presence is often accepted as a part of the industry. In fact, maintenance gram, Jerad Heitzler leads seminars and production employees who are regularly assigned to cleaning duties may see this teaching plant personnel on the value work as a form of “job security.” of and the techniques to prevent fugi- However, the problem of material escaping from handling systems is often regarded tive material and improve the efficiency with resignation. While it is recognized as a mess and a hazard, it is believed that no of the belt conveyor systems used in effective, practical, real-life systems have been developed to control it. Therefore, the handling of bulk materials. spillage and dust from leaky transfer points and carryback are accepted routine, unalterable courses of events. Fugitive material becomes a sign that the plant is Jerad joined Martin Engineering’s operating; “we’re making money, so there’s fugitive material.” sales department in 2006 as a Cus- tomer Development Representative, Left unchecked, fugitive material represents an ever increasing drain on a conveyor’s where he still serves today. (and hence a plant’s) efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Material lost from the conveyor system costs the plant in a number of ways; the following are just a few: With a passion for training and serv- A. Reduced operating efficiency ing his customers, he began teach- ing Foundations workshops in 2010. B. Increased conveyor maintenance costs Jerad’s passion for conveyor safety C. Reduced plant safety and helping industries recognize prob- lems in material handling, serve him D. Lower employee morale well in teaching classes. He is engag- E. Diminished product quality ing and entertaining, to be sure and his F. Heightened scrutiny from outside agencies audiences find his classes memorable.
46 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Controlling Carryback: installation point. These field fabrications 5. Wear liner installed as a material dam and installation deviations will almost 6. Correct load entry seal A common form of fugitive material is always reduce the intended performance carry back. Carryback can be more of the systems. 7. Multiple exit curtains difficult to reduce than dust and spillage because it can accumulate under the Another reason why belts are poorly I have already discussed some of the entire return path of the belt. Dust and cleaned is because of the condition of tactics involved in cleaning a belt, so let’s especially spillage are primarily located at the belt. When a conveyor belt is cupped begin with belt selection. Often when a transfer point. or has any type of surface damage, the a conveyor belt needs to be replaced, performance of the belt cleaner systems the first step in sourcing a new belt is to Most plants take at least some action to will most definitely be reduced. In order look at the specifications on the previous reduce carryback. However, the actions for cleaning systems to “get a clean belt,” belt, the previous belt that failed for are usually too little or are not properly belt cleaner systems must be properly some reason and is now being replaced. executed. Belt cleaning systems are the installed on a belt in good condition. Before considering the specifications of most common way to reduce carryback, the belt that is being replaced, operations but rather than “add belt cleaners” Many users of belt cleaners will consider should consider the reason why this belt operators should strive to “achieve a these systems ineffective and take them is being replaced or failed. Many times a clean belt.” At first thought these phrases out of service when in fact they are only belt that is considered to be “worn out” is may seem like the same, but they are poorly maintained. If an operation strives in fact a form of “belt damage,” damage not. Belt cleaners that are not selected, to achieve a clean belt through proper that could have been prevented with the installed, maintained, and equipped on installation and maintenance, rather than proper selection of the new belt. a belt in poor condition will typically not just adding another belt cleaner, costly provide satisfactory results. carryback issues will be reduced. Belt selection preservation requires an incredible amount of knowledge, training and collaboration between plant operations, maintenance, and belt manufacturers and suppliers. It is a practice that is not best suited for procurement personnel, because what can look like a way to save money on a belt, can in fact cost more in the long run. Belt selection is too intense of a topic to fully discuss for this article, but it should include an understanding of PIW, the Any belt that has damage to the top cover will conveyors systems minimum bend be more difficult to keep clean. radius, transition distance, troughablity of Reducing Dust and Spillage with the belt sourced. Also, an understanding Seven Strategies: of belt construction and proper storage and transport techniques are important. Whereas carryback is found along the return path of the conveyor, dust and especially spillage is most prevalent at the transfer point. Too often dust and spillage problems are considered Always install belt cleaners according to the separate. Plants shovel and hose around manufacturer directions. Any deviation will transfer points to resolve spillage. Dust result in lower performance. is typically addressed with chemical Selection and installation of belt cleaning suppression or some sort of dust systems should only be done carefully collection system. Although suppression by experienced personnel. These skilled or collection of dust is often needed it will technicians should have training from be much more effective if containment belt cleaner manufacturers and be aware efforts are included. Containment is the mechanical solution to reduce dust and, of plant specific needs and concerns. A conveyor belt that is not stored correctly on Plants that provide input to manufacturer if done correctly, will make significant a stand will fail prematurely. on the selection process of belt cleaners reduction in the transfer point spilling are usually the most satisfied with the material. One of the most overlooked reasons why a transfer point has dust and spillage is cleaner systems performance. There are seven strategies included in because of the lack of proper belt support proper containment efforts at a transfer Installation instructions are provided by in the load zone. When idlers are used in point. They are: any reputable manufacturer. When it the load zone, even when spaced closely comes time to install the cleaners, errors 1. Start with a clean belt together, material will most likely find at selection time present themselves in its way out of the system. The intense 2. Proper belt selection systems that may not fit into the location pressure and turbulence inside the chute intended. Typically the way to resolve 3. Belt Support in the load zone work will force material out of the most this is to do field fabrication or deviate insignificant amounts of belt sag. Belt from the manufacturers recommended 4. Multiple lipped dust seal continue MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 47 Fugitive Material continued Wearliners, which can be a number of the belt. The profile the belt has at this point is very difficult to seal against. It sag is the form the belt has when draped different wear resistant materials, should goes against our philosophy of sealing over idlers. be installed as close the belt as possible while not touching the belt. They should against a flat even surface. In order to relieve in height in the direction of belt remedy this best is to extend the chute travel so rotating material cannot become work back toward the tail pulley using a entrapped and damage the belt. tailbox. This building back of the chute work will allow sealing to be done further back in an already existing flat surface, the tail pulley. A rubber seal can be installed and allowed to flap against the belt in the direction of belt travel. This allows the seal to perform while the rubber wears, Belt sag that is caused by the belt taking the and it will keep consistent contact with profile of idlers can allow material to escape the belt. the system. The final step in the mechanical process In order to eliminate belt sag, it is best of reducing dust and spillage is to slow or to install belt support cradles under restrict the flow of air exiting the transfer the entire length of the chuted transfer point. This is done by installing curtains, point. When multiple cradles need to be typically rubber, at the end of the chuted used, idlers should be installed between area. The curtains are hung on the adjacent cradles. An idler that allows inside, set back from the exit area, and individual rollers to be removed from the will restrict the flow of air being forced assembly is recommended. This will out. The restriction of the air will allow allow rolls that need to be serviced to the velocity to slow. When the velocity be accessed much easier. These idlers Illustration shows techniques 3, 4 and 5 of sealing dust and spillage. of the air slows enough, dust that is will reduce the drag of the system. The suspended in the air flow will settle back cradles will give a straight and solid on the material path. base or foundation for the belt. This The Best Reason to Take Action: foundation will stabilize the belt providing a flat surface to seal against. When the costs created by fugitive material are understood, it becomes Of all the tactics recommended to obvious that controlling material at mechanically control dust and spillage conveyors and transfer points can none is more important than another. provide major benefits for belt conveyors However, if proper belt support is and to the operations that rely on these not provided and the equipment not conveyors. This control has proven maintained, all efforts to control spillage difficult to achieve and more difficult to will fail. retain. Working along with the belt support, it is A planned and maintained approach is recommended to use a multiple-lipped needed to aid in total material control. dust seal. A dust seal with more than This is an opportunity to reduce costs, one point of contact against the belt increase efficiency and profitability for surface will provide the best seal. The many operations. seal should be a softer durometer than Wearliners must be installed even and the belt, have installation hardware that straight to prevent damage to the belt. Total material control means that makes it easy to adjust as it wears, and When a load zone has a flat even surface material is kept on the belt and within be stout enough to stand up to expected under the belt provided by belt support the system. Material is moved where belt speeds. It should be one continuous cradles, uses a multiple lipped dust seal you need it, in the condition you need length and not in multiple pieces. that is only asked to contain dust, and has it, at the flow rate you need it, without loss or excess energy consumption, and The multiple dust seal is just that, a a wearliner installed to contain material, much of the fugitive material at a transfer without premature equipment failures dust seal. It should not be expected to or excessive maintenance costs. Total seal material. It is not resistant enough point can be contained. However, these are not the only areas of a transfer point material control improves plant efficiency to contain the weight and pressure of and reduces the cost of ownership. material. Containment of material needs where material escapes. Often where to be done by a wear liner installed to the the belt enters and exits the chuted area Excerpts of this paper were taken from Martin inside of the dust seal. Wear liners act as much can be lost. These areas are our Engineerings FOUNDATIONS 4th edition. A a material dam. When installed correctly final two topics to discuss. more complete version of this paper will be they will force material away from the Often the tail end of the chute work is offered as a PreConference Professional rubber dust seal, leaving it to only act to designed to fit the troughed profile of Development course at Electric Power Show seal the fine dust. 2012 on Monday May 15-17.
48 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com ABRASION-RESISTANT MATERIALS ABRASION-RESISTANT MATERIALS Material Control, Inc ...... 800/926-0376 1 basalt Stephens Mfg...... 270/487-6774 CBP Engineering Corp. 2 ceramic 3 coatings AGGLOMERATORS WorldW leader in the application & fabrication 4 rubber/urethane of abrasion resistant lining materials. 5 stainless steel Mars Mineral ...... 724/538-3000 6 steel Svedala Industries ...... 414/798-6200 • Increase efficiency 7 steel piping Westpro Machinery, Inc...... 250/549-6710 • Reduce downtime 8 spray steel • Extend life of key processing equipment ACTUATORS & SYSTEMS A.W. Chesterton Co...... 617/481-2378 800-468-1180 Abresist Kalenborn Corp...... 260/774-3327 Adalet-PLM ...... 216/267-9000 www.cbpengineering.com American Utility Metals ...... 225/343-4219 DESIGN • MANUFACTURING • INSTALLATION Argonics Inc. (4) ...... 800/991-2746 2012 Coal People Editorial Calendar ASGCO Manufacturing, Inc. (2, 4)....800/344-4000 B.D.i. (5) ...... 309/342-5154 Bailey-Parks Urethane...... 800/238-7638 Bullitt County Belting & Supply (2, 4, 5)...... 502/957-1777 CBP Engineering (1, 2, 3) ...... 800/468-1180 Ceramic Technology Inc. (2) ...... 276/964-6724 Clinch River Corp...... 276/963-5271 Columbia Steel Casting ...... 800/547-9471 Buyer’s Guide Issue! Cronatron Welding Sys., Inc. (2, 3, 6, 7) ...... 704/598-1225 CUE Inc...... 724/772-5225 Duraline LLC (2, 3) ...... 412/429-0335 Duraline, LLC Ford Steel Co.(6) ...... 800/325-4012 June Issue Garlock Sealing Technologies (4) .....315/597-7129 (412) 429-0335 GIW Industries Inc ...... 706/863-1011 HardSteel, Inc (6) ...... 205/343-9100 www.duralinellc.com Hausner Hard-Chrome Inc (3, 5, 6, 7) ...... 270/684-2279 Innovative Conveyor Technology, LLC ...... 502/772-2773
Jabo Supply Corp. (7)...... 800/334-5226 JADCO Mfg., Inc. (2, 5, 6, 7) ...... 724/452-5252 Theme: Underground / Longwall Mining Buyer’s Guide Kerco, Inc. (1, 2, 8) ...... 270/821-2889 Logan Corp. (6) ...... 800/340-8801 Ludowici (2, 3) ...... 304/855-7880 AIR CONDITIONING Mechanical & Ceramic Solutions (1, 2, 3, 5, 6) ...... 412/429-8991 Event Coverage: Coal Prep Post-Show Naylor Pipe Co. (6, 7) ...... 773/721-9400 Norris Screen & Manufacturing (3, 4, 5, 6) ...... 276/988-8901 Deadlines: Space – May 18 Material – May 25 Richwood (2, 4) ...... 800/237-6951 S & S Urethane, Inc. (1-7) ...... 800/237-6336 SSAB (6)...... 412/269-3231 Stephens Mfg. (6) ...... 270/487-6774 Trivaco (2) ...... 513/697-9890 Wescott Steel, Inc...... 215/364-3636 Buyer’s Guide Section ACTUATOR ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC Clinch River Corp...... 276/963-5271 The Kerry Co...... 412/486-3388 Full Color single and Trivaco ...... 513/697-9890 ACTUATORS & SYSTEMS
Ceramic Technology, Inc...... 276/964-6724 Double Blocks Available Clinch River Corp...... 276/963-5271 RACO International, L.P...... 412/835-5744 Stephens Mfg...... 270/487-6774 The Kerry Co...... 412/486-3388 under specific category Trivaco ...... 513/697-9890 AERATORS - BIN headings! Ceramic Technology, Inc...... 276/964-6724 APRIL Coal Preparation - Buyer’s Guide Issue 75 July Issue Theme: Surface Mining / Reclamation Buyer’s Guide Buyer’s Guide Issue! Event Coverage: Electric Power Post-Show Deadlines: Space – June 15 Material – June 22
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MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 49 Coal Silo-Bunker Firefighting Procedures
Training for the local Fire Department on Piercing Rod Operations
ny facility that handles coal is certain to experience a fire from time to time. It’s the By Justin Clift nature of the beast and plants must employ the proper measures to prepare, prevent Manager HCT Industrial Aand protect their facilities. As a result, a majority of these incidents are extinguished quickly and safely. However, year after year we hear about a major fire or explosion in the coal industry. The reason these major incidents occur can often be traced back to a manageable list of oversights (see Fig. 1). A majority of these incidents are 100 percent preventable when utilizing the proper fire prevention, detection and suppression procedures (see Fig. 2). Unfortunately, some facilities don’t have adequate procedures in place or in extreme cases, they have no procedures at all. Furthermore, if these procedures are not reviewed, revised and practiced annually, these plants are bound to make mistakes. A mistake while responding to a fire in a combustible dust environment can quickly lead to a flash fire or an explosion. Without a properly planned course of action, such facilities will jeopardize the health and safety of plant personnel and will fail to meet their goals.
The following recommendations are based off HCT Emergency Response Team’s ex- perience in combating stubborn hot spots in bulk storage. It’s of the utmost impor- tance that each facility uses this procedure only as a guide to help them create a site-specific standard to follow in the event of a Bunker/Silo fire based on their design, detection methods, response capabilities and training. The actions taken during the initial response period are crucial. If these procedures are not strictly adhered to dur- ing the initial response period the probability of an explosion is increased. Any extin- guishing efforts not discussed in this procedure may result in an unstable explosive hazard that can further jeopardize the health and safety of responding personnel. 50 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com equipment is fine tuned for your facility it will notify the control room when the CO levels reach alarm level 1. Since every plant varies in design and ventilation the alarm levels must be customized to suit each plant.
Once a hot spot is detected or suspected, the first step is to do nothing until a complete assessment is performed. The assessment Fig. 2:Thermal Imaging Cameras can provide provides responders with a better responders with a clear picture of a hot spot. understanding of the hot spot (size, location, temperature, depth and Preventing Coal Fires stage of spontaneous combustion). • Keep it on the Belt – Transfer Investigate the report of a fire Point Control immediately. Once a fire is confirmed, • Keep it Clean – Commitment to you must stop all coal moving Housekeeping activities and verify the coal feeder • Keep it Fresh – Coal Pile inlet gate is 100 percent closed. Management Perform a heat survey of the fire area • Keep it Moving – Silo with laser thermometer or thermal Management imaging camera to show fire location • Keep it in Check – Monitoring and intensity. Use of a laser pyrometer • Keep it Understood – Training or thermal imaging camera will greatly • Keep it Important – Cultural improve the ability to quickly locate Change the seat of the fire and identify where • Give it Respect – Hazard the smoldering coal exists in a large Awareness bunker or coal feeder body.
Addressing Fires in Bulk Storage Map the coal bunker and record Fig. 1: Conduct a Thermal Scan to Assess the temperatures to determine the location Hot Spot’s size and location. A deep-seated hot spot in bulk storage and intensity of the smoldering coal and Top Reason Major Fires and Dust can be very difficult to extinguish. to track the progress in extinguishing the Explosions Occur in the Power Industry However; with the proper training and fire. Once the location and area of the fire equipment these fires can safely and have been determined, a pre-job briefing Failure to respect potential hazards effectively be extinguished without will be held with all involved personnel. • Failure to address near miss incident. Hazard Control Technologies’ Conduct regular temperature monitoring warning events - puffs (HCT) Emergency Response Team has until the fire is extinguished. • Failure to maintain safety found the following procedures to be systems the most effective at dealing with these Immediate response is required when the • Lack of maintenance of fires. Earlier detection is key when odor of burning coal or other evidence of production systems combating a silo/bunker fire. Fixed CO a coal fire inside a silo is detected. Delay • Lack of housekeeping monitoring equipment has been proven in taking action allows the rate of burning procedures to be the most effective tool in detecting to increase and requires additional effort • Human error through the early signs of combustion. When this continued on page 54 complacency • Poor hazard training programs
Lack of proper engineering and design • Lack of technical expertise • Failure to comply with NFPA standards • Lack of documentation, hazard analysis or review of design modifications
Lack of preparedness • Lack of procedures or training for abnormal operations • Failure to plan for emergency response • Failure to prepare community for emergencies (Local Fire Department) • Younger inexperienced Plant specific training on silo fires should be workers, replacing veterans conducted annually. MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 51 By Geno Lawrenzi Jr. LIVING IN THE PATCH
Bang...bang! Our neighbors were generally friendly except for the Votas who lived across the Patch from us. Bert Vota, the head of the family, I glanced out my upstairs window in the company housing had never worked in the coal mines. Fact is, I don’t know what where I lived with my parents and two younger brothers. he did -- tax collector or something. He and his wife had their I knew where the shots were coming from. Next door in own home next to the road, and they had their own fenced-in the wooden complex that housed a dozen coal miners and garden that Mrs. Vota kept filled with flowers. It was their way of their families, Claude Carder, our neighbor, was shooting showing they were better than the folks who lived in the Patch, I rats. guess, since all we raised were vegetables to fill our stomachs.
Most of the families in the complex had gardens they tended They had one son, Albert, who was my age. Albert was a next to the road that ran above the Patch. We raised rad- bully. No question about that in my mind. And sure enough, ishes, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries string beans and other he grew up to become a Trooper with the Pennsylvania vegetables in the small gardens. The crops attracted rats, big State Police. He was tall, slim, muscular and arrogant, al- ones, that lived beneath the two-lane road that led to towns like ways ready for a fight. I was tall, slim, not quite as muscular Buena Vista, Elizabeth, Boston, McKeesport and Pittsburgh 20 and would rather engage in verbal gymnastics with bullies miles away. like him than engage in a fight. To Albert, that was a sign of weakness and a problem area. I grew up hating Albert Claude was a retired coal miner who lived in the next door com- Vota and especially disliked him after he offered me a drink plex with his wife, Lena, daughter Anne, and his blind father-in- from a water canteen and when I tried to drink the water, law, Fritz. He was a deadly shot with the .22 rifle and few rats he slammed the canteen into my mouth, chipping one of escaped his lethal bullets. Interestingly, the distance from the my teeth. That snaggled tooth affected my appearance for end of Claude’s rifle to the garden where the rats would dart out a couple of years until my parents paid for me to have it of their holes to nibble at the veggies was less than 40 feet. He repaired by a dentist. I never forgave Albert for the act, and had to shoot over the heads of people who would be walking he never apologized. on the path that led through our little neighborhood. Nobody minded it. We all knew Claude was a good shot, a responsible Dad worked at the Warden Mine which owned the complex and person and that he would never jeopardize any of the children the company store at the rear of the building. The mine was or adults who lived in the complex. about a mile away and Dad walked to work each day, carry- ing his lunch pail. He would leave early in the morning and re- Blam! turn in the late afternoon, covered with black dust from the coal mine, with only his eyes showing that he was a white man. I I smiled. Another big fat rat sent to the happy hunting was always glad to see him trudge wearily up the road leading grounds. to the mine. During the month of November, which was hunting season, he, along with the other miners, would bring their shot- ‘Good shooting, Claude,’ I shouted from my window. He guns to work with them. Sometimes they would find a rabbit or nodded, smiled and squirted a glob of tobacco juice into a a pheasant along the way, and we would have a treat for dinner. container he kept next to his chair. I was always the first one to reach Dad and feel in his hunter’s jacket for the warm body of a dead rabbit or ringneck pheasant. I was born in the Patch. My mother was born in a small town I would pull the game out, my hands stained with warm blood, called Wall, PA, and our father grew up in Boston, about six and show it to my brothers. miles away. Boston was a small community that you could reach by crossing a bridge over the Youghiogheny River. The ‘Wow, Dad, you got ‘em, I would say admiringly. I would caress town’s population was made up of Hungarians, Italians, Poles, the dark steel twin barrels of the shotgun and dream about the Germans and Slovenians from the Old Country, as they called day I could go hunting and bring home some food for our family. it. Most of them worked in the mines or the steel mills that lay along the heavily polluted river. Tuesday was Wash Day in the Patch. We got our water from a communal pump about 200 yards from our front door. The rou- Being the oldest of three sons, I was fortunate to have my own tine was always the same. My brothers and I would carry a large room. My younger brothers, John and Dennis, shared the bed- galvanized tub to the pump. If one of the other neighbors was room next to mine. Sometimes when I got lonely or bored, I there first, we would have to stand in line and wait to pump the would go into their bedroom to spend the night telling ghost sto- water that our mother would use to wash the family clothes. The ries or wild tales that kept their interest. They always accused water was clean and we could drink it, but the tubs were heavy. me of being a born story teller. I guess they were right. Today It generally took three tubs of water to get all the wash finished. I am a newspaper reporter and magazine writer, and I am still When we carried the tub up the steps into our house, we would telling stories by banging them out on a computer. lift it onto the stove so the water could be heated. That was our 52 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com By Geno Lawrenzi Jr. weekly chore and we never backed away from it. Our parents had gone to West Newton to shop for groceries. Within a very short period of time, my brothers and I had taken My Dad was tough on discipline. His father had been born all the toys out of the closet and were playing with them. I even in the Old Country, Italy, and he had survived the Depres- took the bike outside for a test ride. And that was when my par- sion. My brothers and I had responsibilities to do around ents arrived home. the house, and Lord help us if we tried to shirk them. He had a heavy miner’s belt that he was quick to use, and ‘Look, Mom, what Santa Claus brought us,” I cried out. some of those spankings I can remember to this day. My mother was furious. Christmas was always a special time of year in our household. My Aunt Annie and Uncle Ott, who also worked in the mines, ‘Where did you get those toys?’ she demanded angrily. “They lived in West Newton three miles down the road from where we aren’t yours. We were keeping them for some other children. lived. They would always spend Christmas Day with us. Mom Put them back immediately. If you don’t, I’m going to call the took special delight in selecting and buying toys for all three of police!” us. We had a special closet in the house that could be locked, and we knew never to go into it without our parents’ permission. Meekly and terrified, we returned the toys to the closet. For That was where they would hide our Christmas treasures -- the next couple of weeks, I cowered in my room, expecting basketballs, a football, toy trucks, Daisy or Red Ryder air rifles, the cops to show up to arrest me and my brothers. They and even bicycles. never showed, of course, and on Christmas morning, my beaming parents gave me the Schwinn bicycle and we cel- One year when I was about 10, we did something very stupid. ebrated our favorite holiday. That was life in the Patch, a We got into the closet about a month before Christmas. I had time of childhood memories and growth, and a time that somehow found the key to the closet and opened it and there, my brothers and I will never forget. amazingly, in front of me was a brand new Schwinn bike. (Geno Laurenzi Jr. is a former reporter for the Los Angeles It was like a dream come true and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Herald-Examiner and the Phoenix Gazette. He has written for People Weekly and more than 50 other magazines and pres- I didn’t have a bike and had been praying for a Schwinn, which ently lives in Springfield, MO, with his daughter, Rossana, and was the top of the line. All the other kids in the neighborhood his three grandchildren. You can reach him by sending an email that were my age had bicycles. And now here this bike was, just to [email protected]). waiting for me.
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MAYBauma13MINING-AnzNeu-184,2x114,3-E.indd Mine Safety / Electric Power 1Issue 13.12.11 13:3053 Firefighting continued to control or suppress the fire later on. Upon detection, an action plan must be developed and implemented. However, following actions should be avoided:
DO NOT attempt smothering the fire with a layer of fresh coal.
DO NOT run burning PRB coal through the feeders and mills. Doing so places the plant, equipment and employees in jeopardy due to the very high possibility of creating an explosion within the silo, feeder or mill.
DO NOT attempt to extinguish the hot spot with plain water, Class A or Class B foam. Plain water will not penetrate the coal or the burning hot spot. In addition, plain water could erode at foundation of the hot spot causing it to collapses. Foams will not penetrate the coal and Conduct a Washdown prior to attacking a silo fire to eliminate fugitive dust deposits. the blanket they create will retain the heat and combustible vapors creating an environment for a hybrid vapor/dust deposits on elevated surfaces above Encapsulating Agent, F-500. Micelle explosion. the silo or bunker. If dealing with a Encapsulating Agents have been deep-seated hot spot, a wash down found to be the most effective at DO NOT attempt using Inerting or Dry should be performed within the silo or extinguishing deep-seated hot spots Ice. Neither method has proven to be bunker to remove any dust deposits on due to their ability to encapsulate successful in extinguishing deep-seated the I-beams and silo/bunker walls. The the fuel, penetrate the material and hot spots. Inerting can be used as a goal is to encapsulate both the airborne rapidly cool the hot spot. A surround method to slow the development of a dust particles and the by-products of and cooling approach is used as hot spot while emergency response combustion. Begin gravity or forced the piercing rod slowly advances teams are organized. Please note: Once ventilation of the tripper deck if possible. towards the hot spot 5 feet at a time. Inerting has stopped due to depleted Open any overhead hatches or doors After extinguishment, the final step supply or a piercing rod attack, the hot leading to the exterior of the plant. Do not is to monitor the hot spot until all the spot will increase in temperature. open fire doors to the plant interior. Once material has been removed from the the fire is attacked, smoke and steam will silo or bunker. Never assume the fire When a fire is detected in a location escape from the silo and will need to be has been extinguished until it has been or piece of equipment, all coal ventilated to the exterior. Use of the silo confirmed with thermal imaging and CO moving activities in and out of the dust collector during the fire may cause monitors. Never rush into a response affected location or equipment must a fire or explosion in the dust collector. without a complete assessment. be stopped. Dust collectors, belts, The dust collector can also act as a Each facility should create and strictly and other equipment that service the draft inducer, pulling air up through the adhere to their plant specific Standard affected location or equipment or may bottom of the silo, thus accelerating the Operating Guidelines (SOG’s) during an create dust in the area must be shut fire. Smoke and CO inside the silo can incident. These SOG’s must be updated, down. This is to minimize the chance be reduced by fogging the headspace reviewed and revised annually. It’s also of a fire or explosion occurring with an encapsulating agent (F-500) important to work with your responding during fire suppression. Lock-Out- through a distributor nozzle. The agent Fire Departments and educate them on Tag-Out (LOTO) procedures shall be will act as a scrubber and increase the hazards of combustible dust and followed as required. Coal bunker, visibility and encapsulate CO gas. This silo firefighting. With the appropriate procedures and training plant’s can meet coal silo, and coal feeder fires shall be is a recommended practice when dealing their goal of establishing a safe practice extinguished using an approximate with a deep-seated hot spot. However, that is consistently, efficiently and 1 percent or greater concentration if experiencing a near-surface hot spot effectively used to control and extinguish of F-500 encapsulator agent and a such activities may result in additional fires in coal bunkers, coal silos, coal Piercing Rod Kit. This method and oxidation and a change in airflow may hoppers, and coal feeders. Additional concentration are recommended disrupt dust particles. in the PRB Coal Users Group Best training is required to fully understand the hazards associated with combating Guidelines & Practices for Bunker & Once the hazards of a secondary silo fires while utilizing a piercing rod Silo Fires. combustible dust explosion have been and F-500 applications. Information on eliminated the responders can begin additional training can be obtained by The second step is to perform a wash attacking the hot spot with a specially contacting Hazard Control Technologies. down to remove combustible dust designed piercing rod and the Micelle
54 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com West Virginia Teacher Awarded Arch Coal Golden Apple By Julia Roberts Goad williamsondailynews.com
Laura Bobbera is a born teacher. Indeed, education is in her blood. Her family has taught for generations. “For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher,” she said.
Bobbera was recently recognized for excellence by the Arch Coal Foundation.
The Mingo County teacher, who teaches an orchestra and guitar class at Mingo Central in addition to general music at Gilbert Elementary, was given a Golden Apple Achiever Award as part of the foundation’s Teacher Achievement Awards program.
Twelve West Virginia teachers received Teacher Achievement Awards, John R. Snider, Arch Coal, Inc. Vice President for external affairs, said.
“Last month, Arch Coal honored 12 teachers with our Teacher Achievement Award,” said Snider. “The Golden Apple Achiever Award is presented to teachers who submitted exemplary applications to the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards program and came close to being honored with the Foundation’s major award.”
Still active after twenty years, the Teacher Achievement Award is the state’s longest running teacher recognition program.
Nominations for outstanding teachers are usually submitted by parents, co-workers, or students, however anyone in the public can nominate a teacher. All teachers whose names are submitted receive an application detailing the requirements and the four topics to be addressed:Teaching as a Profession, Teacher Philosophy, Educational Development/Professional Achievement, and Community Service. These essays and three letters of recommen- dation are then sent to Arch Coal to be judged. Twelve educators are named the winner of the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award, a $3,500 cash award given to each recipient. Others who submitted a quality package but one that did not score in the top 12 receive the Golden Apple Award, a certificate recognizing effort.
“Our panel of peer judges - past recipients of the award - indicated the applications this year were of very high quality, which made selections difficult,” said Snider. “West Virginia has many superior classroom teachers who deserve recognition. I hope each of these teachers will be nominated again next year be- cause classroom teaching excellence is one of the keys to student achievement.”
Bobbera said she had teachers that inspired her, and still feels that connection to her students.
“After twenty-three years in the profession, I still find teaching to be a highly rewarding career,” she said. “The love my students show me, their pride in a job well done, their wonderful, fresh ideas, and those ‘ah’ moments when they have created an aesthetically pleasing piece keep me trying to do the best I can for them.
“I come from a long line of teachers on both sides of my family,” Bobbera said. “Both of my sisters teach; one has taught at the college level and now teaches at a high school and the other homeschools. My mother taught school in Michigan on a war time permit during World War II and for several years in California. My father taught at the University of Rome before coming to the United States. My uncle was a physics professor and an aunt taught English.”
Bobbera said her grandmother began her teaching career at the age of 16 in 1908 in a one room school- house in Nebraska. Her sister, Bobbera’s great aunt, also taught in the one room school houses in Ne- braska and later in Colorado.
Bobbera told the story of her paternal grandfather, a high school teacher in Rome, who took a stand for his prin- ciples, and how his teaching career suffered the consequences.
“At the time he was teaching, Mussolini was in power, and one had to belong to the Facist Party to teach at the college level,” she said. “Since my grandfather refused to join, he was only allowed to teach high school.”
Bobbera said the reward she cherishes is knowing she has made an impact on her students’ lives.
“A motivating force is the feedback that I receive from past students years after they have left my class who inform me that my work made a difference,” she said. “It enriched someone’s life forever.“ MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 55 Coal People Magazine ...linking readers to coal industry people, technology and news
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56 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com The Most Unique Blend of Editorial and News in the Coal Mining / Energy Industry... Comparable to No Other! In-Print and On-Line
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www.coalpeople.com MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 57 PRODUCT news 2012
hydraulic multipurpose unit designed for slurry applications. Contact Cal Cobb at mines or construction sites lacking water 608/226-5648. and electrical infrastructure. It comes with dual onboard 118 gallon water tanks Maptek announces the Vulcan 64- and a six-cylinder, 232 hp Deutz diesel bit, which combines a 3D modeling engine to drive the rig, its boom and the environment with the power of modern drill’s hydraulic pumps. It features a 64-bit technology to make it possible coverage area of up to 1,022 square feet. to work with large datasets. It covers Able to handle small construction jobs, it the entire software offering, allowing all is compact and maneuverable enough to Vulcan users access to the platform. work in tight spaces in the mine. Atlas is Both 32 and 64-bit versions are shipped Hitachi Construction Products, also launching four new Simba long-hole simultaneously under Vulcan 8.1.4, Moline, IL, introduces the EX2600- production drill rigs, including the Simba which include new options for resource 6, heavier than its predecessor, more ME7 C, the Simba E7 C, the Simba E7 modeling and short term planner tools, engine horsepower, and the BE-backhoe C-ITH for in-the-hole hammers, and the along with composited models for version has increased bucket capacity. Simba W7 C, which is fitted with a water stratigraphic deposits, stripping ratio tools Estimated productivity increases are powered ITH hammer. Call Christina for strategraphic models and improved 13 percent for the short-reach BH Fisher at 303/600-2317. grade shells. Contact Jane Ball at 61 8 backhoe, and four percent for the loader 8338 9222. version. Loading time per truck has been Trolex introduces a Group 1 and lessened as well. Bucket capacity has Group II Humidity module and a new LADD Industries Inc. announces the been increased to 22.2 cu. yd. Reach Temperature module to be used in HDP20 Series dust cap accessories, of the backhoe front attachment has either the Sentro 8 or Sentro 1 systems. which work with the Deutsch Industrial been shortened and the engine output The Temperature module can sense HDP20 product family. Designed boosted to achieve higher productivity temperature ranges from -10 degree C especially for harsh environments and with a cycle time equivalent to the -5 to 40 degrees C with an accuracy of +/- provides an environmentally sealed version. Hydraulic pump output has been 2degrees C while the Humidity module interface for unmated HDP20 Series increased by ten percent. Inside the cab, ranges from 10 to 95% RH, with +/-8% receptacles. It is available for sizes 18 LED lighting has been adopted. Visit the accuracy. The Temperature module also and 24 shell HDP20 Series receptacles. Hitachi local dealer for more information. gives a sub display of the current ambient Once installed the caps will prevent dirt, humidity while the Humidity module also dust and moisture from contaminating gives a sub display of the current ambient unmated receptacles. It features an temperature. Contact Laura Bradshaw integrated mounting hole, which can be at 0161 483 1435. fitted with a rubber or metal lanyard to keep the cap closed when not in use. IDEAL Industries, Sycamore, IL, Call Chad Roberts at 888/523-3462. introduces the IDEAL Power-Spade spade bit, which provides an increased Dust Control Technology, Peoria, level of performance, whether the user IL, introduces the DustBoss DB- Komatsu America Corp. introduces is boring through wood, cement board, M, a new low-turbulence design for the WA500-7 wheel loader, designed composite enclosures or ceiling tile. applications in which a fan-driven with a more environmentally friendly Designed to meet the requirements of mist would be undesirable. Suited to engine that increases power while professional electricians, the Power- operating conditions involving very fine decreasing fuel consumption. Powered Spade provides speed, hole quality and dust particles, including slag dust or fly by a Komatsu SAA6D140E-6 engine ease of use. Call 800/435-0705. ash. A powerful misting head is supplied with a net horsepower of 353, the wheel standard with 9 atomizing nozzles and loader is EPA tier 4 Interim and EU Weir Minerals, Madison, WI, introduces mounted on a 15-foot boom. It generates Stage 3B emission certified. Features the WS Series valve sleeves. The new an umbrella-shaped cloud of atomized include a factory maintenance program, Isogate WS Series valve sleeves made droplets averaging 50-200 microns in and a complimentary Komatsu Diesel with Linatex abrasion resistant and highly size, projecting the mist about 30 feet particulate filter exchanges within the flexible elastomers extends wear life, and under calm conditions. Call Rick Felde first 5 years. Operating weight is 76,611 improve overall valve performance. The at 503/534-0800. lbs. when equipped with a 7.3 yd. general WS series, with its fully interchangeable, purpose bucket and a maximum speed of one-piece design with integral load Ergodyne, St. Paul, MN, adds the 22.1 mph. Call Shawn-Laree at 773/802- distribution rings, eliminates the need for ProFlex 925F(x)CP Cut, Puncture and 0377. multiple pieces and fasteners to make Dorsal Impact-Reducing (DIR) Gloves sleeve replacement much easier. The to its line-up. A protective material called Atlas Copco, Commerce City, CO, WS Series wafer-style, slurry knife gate Armortex covers the entirety of the palm introduces the Boomer E1 C-DH- valve is designed to provide reliable to providing Level 3 cut protection // face drilling rig, a single-boom, diesel- service in tough abrasive and corrosive Level 2 puncture protection. Molded TPR 58 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com armor on both the knuckles and fingers CNW Group Ltd/Geosoft, Toronto, of the dorsal side of the hand provide announces the availability of its 2012 protection from impact, pinch, crush and Software Release, including updates to bruising blows. Call 800/225-8238. Oasis montaj, Target, Target for ArcGIS and GM-SYS Modeling software, and Dieselcraft Fluid Engineering, Auburn, the new release of Geosoft VOXI Earth CA, has developed a modular drum Modeling, a geophysical inversion top centrifuge processing system for software service that generates 3D voxel recycling dirty oils. The Fuel Factory is models from airborne or ground gravity a set of precision centrifuges driven by and magnetic data. The software release an industrial duty gear pump that can run includes major 2D and 3D workflow continuously for 24 hours and will clean enhancements and new capabilities that head pump, a heavy duty, fully automatic 216 gallons of waste oil per hour. The deliver greater efficiency and flexibility for self-priming pump specifically offered for Fuel Factory will clean any waste motor resource explorers and earth scientists pumping under discharge pressure con- oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid or exploring the earth’s subsurface. Visit ditions or high discharge lift applications. vegetable oil without any filters. It will ww.geosoft.com. Flow rates are up to 5,700 gpm, and total clean dirty diesel fuel and will separate dynamic heads up to 390 feet. Applica- any solid from the liquid and will also Oldham S.A.S., Pittsburgh, PA, tions include water movement, ballast remove water. Call John T. Nightingale at announces that its OLCT IR infrared control, jetting nozzle supply, pipeline 530/613-2150. fixed gas detector has been tested and pigging and fire suppression backup. awarded the IP67 protection degrees. Available in both diesel and electric drive Industrial Scientific Corp. – Oldham The design protects the OLCT IR against versions. Call Kristen Gurick at 856/467- S.A.S. announces that its W C64 gas dust and the effect of immersion in 3636. detection control panel has been up to one meter of water. Reinforced PRODUCT LITERATURE / VIDEOS certified and approved by the Canadian ingress protection, stainless steel SS 316L enclosure, dual source, four-beam Standards Association. The WX64 can Eriez, Erie, PA, announces its company technology, and heated optics make the accommodate nearly any combination of brochure, “Eriez: Dedicated People … OLCT IR more reliable. It is suitable for 4-20mA, bridge sensor, ModBus RTU, Exceptional Results,” a 12-page, full-color use in harsh environments and holds ModBus TCP, and wireless inputs. It also brochure available free in both electronic SIL2 certification. Visit www.oldhamgas. features a color display, data logging via and hard copy format. The brochure com. 2GB SD Card, zoning, dual RS-485 ports features the company’s 70th anniversary, and programmable relays. Call Jane highlighting the people and products with Ruduv at +33 (0) 3 21 60 80 80 and, in Ergodyne, St. Paul, MN, announces an array of photos and easy-to read text. America, 800/338-3287. the addition of Arsenal Synthetic Call 888/300-3743 and request brochure Hoist Buckets. The nylon buckets 8-41, or visit www.eriez.com. Mitas, Paris-Nord Villepinte/Prague remove additional weight from workers introduce a new set of earth-mover by hoisting heavy gear and equipment to A new 24-page Spanish language tires, extending the ERL/ERO tire sizes their jobsites in the sky. With a molded brochure from Camfil Farr Air Pollution by 30 percent. The new tires feature top ring and nickel-plated swiveling Control, Jonesboro, AR, showcases the a large surface area to improve their snap, the buckets provide a lighter company’s capabilities in the design life. The tread is designed for rocky weight industry option with equally sturdy and manufacture of dust collectors for conditions. All of the ERL/ERD line is construction for hoisting. The buckets a wide range of processes. It describes radial with a steel-enforced carcass and are rated to hold 100 to 150 pounds of how Camfil Farr APC dust collection steel breakers. ERL tires are fit for loader contents with a 4 to 1 safety factor. Call systems solve dust and fume challenges and grader machinery and for transport 800/225-8238. in blasting, chemical processing, custom vehicle including wheel loaders, dozers OEM, fiberglass, mining, thermal/flame and graders, dumpers and scrapers. Xylem, Bridgeport, NJ, introduces spray, welding and woodworking. Visit Call Dana Cerna at +420 267 111 856. the Godwin Dri-Prime HL250M high www.camfilfarrapc.com.
COAL PEOPLE is the most comprehensive and unique editorial blend of human interest and news in the coal mining / energy industry both in print and on-line. Visit www.coalpeople.com and see why CPM has been favored by readers and advertisers for more than 36 years and is considered the industry’s best! Total Circulation: 14,380 Qualified recipients include owners and corporate management, operating management, and other titled and non-titled personnel.
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 59 Coal event calendar
MAY 16-17: Coal Chemistry Technician Training, Visit www.hexagonconference.com/geo. ASTM HQ, West Conshohocken, PA. 4-8: 27th Annual Elko Mining Expo, Elko 3: TVMI Meeting and CEDAR Regional 17-18: 10th Coaltrans China, JW Marriott, Convention Center, Elko, NV. Coal Fair, Harless Center, Gilbert, WV. Beijing, China. 8-15: ASMR 29th Annual Meeting, Hilton 3-5: Joint Meeting West Virginia Coal 19-20: National Pike Steam Gas & Horse Garden Inn, Tupelo, MS. Mining Institute, the West Virginia Coal Construction Equipment Show, 11-14: MassMIN 2012: The 6th International Association, the Central Appalachian Brownsville, PA. Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining, Section of SME, Stonewall Jackson Resort, 21-22: Eastern Coal Council Annual Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Roanoke, WV. Conference & Exposition, Meadowview, 13: Penn State Miner Training Program, 4: Virginia Mining Association Spring Golf Kingsport, TN. Crowne Plaza Hotel Pittsburgh International Tournament, Lonesome Pine Country Club, 22-23: The World XTL 12 Summit, Airport, Pittsburgh, PA. Big Stone Gap, VA. London, England. 24-27: 2012 North American Tunneling 5-7: 15th Annual Electrical Safety, Reliability 22-24: 7th Annual CIS Coal Summit, Marriott Conference, JW Marriott, Indianapolis, IN and Sustainability Conference & Exhibition, Grand Hotel, Moscow. 26-27: 5th Coaltrans Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Visit www.CIScoal.com. Brazil. Pittsburgh, PA. 23-24: 2nd Coaltrans Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 26-28: Africa Energy Forum AEF 2012, 6-9: Edmonton 2012: CIM Conference Mongolia. Estrel Convention Centre, Berlin, Germany. & Exhibition, Shaw Conference Center, 29-30: Health, Safety and Rescue 28-30: 8th China Beijing International Expo Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Operations in Mining, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. on Coal Mining Equipment & Technology 6-12: North American Occupational 2012, China Beijing International Exhibition Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week JUNE Center, Beijing, China. and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day, Washington, DC, 1: Governor’s Cup, Mine Rescue Contest, JULY and global. Southwest Virginia Community College. 7-11: 28th International Coal Contracts and 3-6: ASSE Professional Development 1-3: 100th Anniversary Conference Rocky Transport Logistics, Grand Hyatt, Conference & Exposition, “PDC Safety Mountain Coal Mining Institute, Vail Jakarta, Indonesia. 2012,” Denver, CO. Marriott, Vail, CO. 10-11: 11th Coaltrans Southern Africa, 3-6: 18th Coaltrans Asia, BICC, 2-4: The Utility Show 2012, Crown Casino, Johannesburg, South Africa. Bali, Indonesia. Melbourne, Australia. Contact Will Blunt at 13-17: WREF 2012: World Renewable 3-7: 37th International Technical Conference +612/9021 8831 or e-mail at Energy Forum, Denver, CO. on Clean Coal & Fuel Systems, [email protected] 15-17: 14th Annual Electric Power Clearwater, FL. 11-13: ICUEE 2012: International Conference & Exhibition, Baltimore 4-7: Hexagon 2012, MGM Grand Hotel, Las Conference on Urban and Environmental Convention Center, Baltimore, MD. Vegas, NV. Engineering, Stockholm, Sweden. Call
60 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com Javad Abdalkhani at ++141 999 58308. 13-14: Tri-State Regional Meeting Rocky South Charleston Ramada Inn, South 12-14: 26th Annual Safety Olympiad, Elko Mountain Coal Mining Institute, TBD. Charleston, WV. Convention Center, Elko, NV. 20: TVMI Meeting, Mountaineer Hotel, 7-9: ASSE’s Annual Future Safety Leaders 15-17: NCCI Summer Trade Seminar, Williamson, WV. th Conference, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Embassy Suites – Kingston Plantation, 22: 25 Anniversary National Mining Hall of Schaumburg, IL. Myrtle Beach, SC. Fame and Museum Induction Banquet, Las st 27-30: bauma China 2012/International 31-August 2: 31 International Conference Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV. Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, on Ground Control in Mining, Lakeview Golf 24: The US Coal Mine Methane Conference, Building Material Machines, Construction Resort and Spa, Morgantown, WV. Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, NV (held in Vehicles and Equipment, Shanghai New conjunction with the NMA MINExpo 2012). International Expo Center, AUGUST 24-26: 2012 MINExpo International Shanghai, China. Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas 10-12: National Pike Steam Gas & Horse Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. DECEMBER Construction Equipment Show, Brownsville, 28: Virginia Mining Association Fall Golf PA. Tournament, Lonesome Pine Country Club, 3-4: ACC Coal Trading Conference, 15-17: COAL-GEN Conference and Big Stone Gap, VA. Exhibition, Kentucky International Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York, NY. Convention Center, Louisville, KY. OCTOBER 6: Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Meeting, 17: Professional Engineers in Mining South Charleston Ramada Inn, South Seminar, Marriott Griffin Gate Resort, 1-3: 1-3: ICUEE 2011-The Demo Expo, Charleston. WV. Lexington, KY. Call 859/257-2820. Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, KY. 13-15: SME Symposium on Safety and 20-22: ACC Coal Market Strategies, The 4: Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Meeting, Reliability in the Mining and Resources Meritage Resort and Spa, Napa Valley, CA. Industries, Minneapolis Marriott City Center, nd South Charleston Ramada Inn, South 22-23: 2 Underground Coal Gasification Charleston, WV. Minneapolis, MN. Network Workshop, Rimrock Resort Hotel, 4-6: ASSE’s Annual Leadership Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada. Visit http://UCG. The Weston, Lombard, IL. 2013 COAL EVENTS coalconferences.org. or call Debo Adams 11-12: Annual Fall Meeting of the West at +44 (0) 20 8246 5268. Virginia Coal Mining Institute, The February 5-8 Bauma Conexpo Show-bc 22-24: 7th China International Mining Expo Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV. India, MMRDA Grounds in the Bandra Kurla 2012, China National Convention Center, 16-18: 2012 Coal Handling & Storage Complex in Mumbai. Beijing, China. Conference & Exhibition, Union Station Visit www.bcindia.com th SEPTEMBER Marriott, St. Louis, MO. April 15-21: bauma 2013: 30 International 18: TVMI Meeting, Mountaineer Hotel, Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, 1-Dec. 1: 2013 Scholarships and Williamson, WV. Building Material Machines, Mining Professional Education Grants (ASSE). 24-25: Coal Chemistry Technician Training, Machines, Construction Vehicles and Call 847/699-2929. Atlanta, GA. Construction Equipment, New Munich 6: Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Meeting, 24-26: NCCI Fall Education and Trade Fair Centre, Munchen, Germany. South Charleston Ramada Inn, South Engineering Seminar, Mid-Pines Resort, Contact Sabine Wagner at Charleston, WV. Southern Pines, NC. +49 89/9 49-21478. 12-14: 73rd Kentucky Mining Institute- June 7-13: Longwall USA 2013, Pittsburgh, Kentucky State Mine Rescue Contests, NOVEMBER PA. Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY. 1: Kanawha Valley Mining Institute Meeting, Send events to [email protected]
Gasmet’s latest monitors on display at Achema Leading gas analyser manufacturer Gasmet Technologies Oy (Finland), has announced its participation in the Achema 2012 exhibition (Frankfurt, 18 – 22 June). The latest gas monitoring technology will be on display at stand C49 in hall 11.1 (Instrumentation, Control and Automation Techniques) including the new Gasmet DX 4040 – a unique portable FTIR analyzer that enables the measurement of almost any gas or vapour.
Gasmet staff will be present at the show in addition to the company’s German distributor Ansyco GmbH, who will be available to provide help and advice on gas detection in a wide variety of industrial and environmental applications including continuous emissions monitoring (power plants, waste incinerators, cement kilns etc.) stack testing / comparison measurements, process control, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, research, engine exhaust gas, semiconductor manufacturing, emergency / first response measurement (HAZMAT), greenhouse gas monitoring, carbon capture, fire testing etc.
Visitors to the Gasmet stand will be able to view live demonstrations of the new DX4040 portable multi-parameter gas analyzer in addition to transportable and continuous analyzers. Further information is available at www.gasmet.fi For further information, please contact: Tel: +358 9 7590 0400, E-mail: [email protected] , Web: www.gasmet.fi
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 61 ABRASION RESISTANT MATERIALS
CBP Engineering Corp. HARDSTEEL, INC. WorldW leader in the application & fabrication WEAR SERVICES of abrasion resistant lining materials. OLD PROBLEMS, NEW SOLUTIONS Manufacturers of • Increase efficiency OVERLAY PLATE & PIPE Chromium-Carbide • Reduce downtime Straight from the manufacturer Overlay Plate • Extend life of key processing equipment
800-468-1180 (205) 425-6868 Abrasion never quits. www.cbpengineering.com Neither do we. DESIGN • MANUFACTURING • INSTALLATION www.WearServices.com Solutions. Service. AUTOMATED SAMPLING SYSTEMS Satisfaction.
PRECISIONPRECISION SAMPLERS SAMPLERS INC INC. PSI specializes in the design and turnkeyPSI installationSpecializes of custom in the designed Design automatedand Turnkey mechanical Installation sampling of systems including truck augers Customand belt samplers. Designed PSI services Automated include sampling system operation, Mechanicalmaintenance, andSampling inspections. Systems including Truck Augers and Belt THE SOURCE FOR ALLSamplers. YOUR MECHANICAL PSI services SAMPLING include SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Phone: 304-744-5534 Fax:304-744-3113 205.343.9100 Email:sampling [email protected] system operation, [email protected] maintenance, and inspections. www.hardsteel.com The Source for ALL Your Mechanical Sampling System Requirements Phone: 304 / 744-5534 Fax: 304 / 744-3113 www.precisionsamplers.com BELT CLEANERS Lincoln Contracting & Equipment Call Today! 814-629-6641 • Plant automation and evaluations www.lincolncontracting.com • Mine ventilation and bleeder fans [email protected] • Structural steel, fabrication and welding Proven Solutions. Expert Advice. • Complete turnkey construction Increase productivity with clean and dry return • Bulk material handling systems belts. Call today for site-specific assistance with • Unit truck and train loadouts your application 1800-237-6951.
Serving our customers for over 35 years. ® Rely on RICHWOOD www.richwood.com DESIGN ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION
CABLE FAULT LOCATORS COAL PREPARATION
Corporate Headquarters Fairmont, West Virginia Ph (304) 363-4100 Fax (304) 363-0799 Engineering Office Carnegie, Pennsylvania Ph (412) 279-8834 Fax (412) 279-3720 • Engineering • Manufacturing • Construction • Renovations
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62 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com COAL PREPARATION CHARGERS / MINE BATTERY James A. Redding Company La Marche Mine Battery Charger combines rugged components with Automated Mechanical Sampling Specialists circuit simplicity for unmatched reliability Design / engineer / Manufacture / install Sampling SyStemS Sampling ComponentS * Two-Stage * Primary and Secondary * Three-Stage * Belt Feeders * Rail/Truck Auger * Collectors * Analyzer Feed/Calibration * Crushers 814-444-7200 • Fax: 814-445-1320 Email: [email protected] • www.jamesaredding.com • For Scoops and other equipment • Controlled charging cycle • Ground shielding and ground check circuitry provides added safety measures • Low profi le towable enclosure-convection cooled POWERSCREEN MID-ATLANTIC, INC. • Class H insulation on transformers and reactors Powerscreen Mid-Atlantic, Inc. is your local Powerscreen dealer for West • Terminal board for easy hookup of AC & DC cables Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina & South Carolina. We sell, rent & lease mobile • Automatic AC input voltage compensation crushing, screening & washing equipment. NEW & USED available! We provide • Automatic surge suppression local service & parts support. CALL NOW FOR INFORMATION & PRICING. 847-299-1188 1-800-PWR-SCRN [email protected] MOBILE CRUSHING, SCREENING & WASHING www.lamarchemfg.com
www.powerscreenmidatl.com MACHINES, PARTS & SERVICE PH: 1-800-797-7276 Email: [email protected]
COAL PREPARATION COAL PREPARATION-PAINTING COAL PREPARATION-PULVERIZING
FARNHAM & PFILE Quality and Service Since 1908 ENGINEERING & Ring Granulators, Reversible Hammermills, CONSTRUCTION Double Roll Crushers, Frozen Coal Crackers for crushing coal, limstone and slag. 1319 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 Sand Blasting Ph: (314) 781-6100 / Fax: (314) 781-9209 www.ampulverizer.com / E-Mail: [email protected] Preparation Plants Painting – Coatings Material Handling Systems Ring Granulators for Coal Prep Facilities Reversible Hammermills Toll Free: (800) 821-5709 Double Roll Crushers, 724-653-1010 Frozen Coal Crackers for crushing coal, Fax: 724-653-1025 Phone: (423) 928-8351 limestone and slag www.farnham-pfile.com www.gardnerpaint.com Ph: (314) 781-6100
CONTRACTORS CONVEYOR ACCESSORIES CONVEYOR BACKSTOPS
ROCK & COAL reliable CONSTRUCTION, INC. P.O. Box 1457 impact Crab Orchard, WV 25827 protection Specializing in Preparation Plant and Material Handling Design for the Coal and Aggregate Industries, maintenance and upgrade of existing systems, emergency projects and “turnkey” installations. 1.800.216.3515
Ph: 304-683-5600 / Fax: 304-683-5601 ® E-mail: [email protected] RICHWOOD 1.800.237.6951
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 63 ENGINEERING / CONSulTING / FINaNCIal SERvICES EMERGENCY HOIST SYSTEMS
Serving the Construction Mining Industry Worldwide Equipment Since 1969 • Raise Boring • Shafts • Slopes Installation • Underground Construction Meeting general and Harrisburg, PA Morgantown, WV specialized contracting Pittsburgh, PA Hagerstown, MD 205 / 945-1300 needs since 1977. State College, PA Wise, VA www.cowin-co.com • Conveyor Systems 800-892-6532 www.skellyloy.com ● • Elevators • Hoisting Equipment CONSulTING FaNS • Hoists Escape • Deep Mine We sell, RePaiR and Buy Fans •Low, Medium & High Pressure • Fans • Most Sizes and Blades in Stock •Over 5,000 Fans Manufactured • Steel Fabrication • Consulting Services/Engineering Paul’s RePaiR shoP, inc. Industry Leaders in Coalfield Services, Inc. Call Paul Elswick, President Accident Prevention Wytheville, VA 276-228-3167 54 Ph (276) 530-7311 and Violation Reduction Years of 2012 [email protected] Excellence Fax (276) 530-7315 www.coalfieldservices.com Home (276) 530-7711 (800) 883-3581 E-mail: [email protected] www.martinconsulting.net www.fanone.org ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT ElECTRICal
One Source Solution For All Your Worldwide Service, Installation, Industrial Electrical Contracting Needs and Modernization Since 1946 • Engineering, Design & Manufacturing of Elevator Equipment • Free Estimating of Projects “Leader in Industrial Electrical Design & • Complete Engineering Department Installation That Constantly Exceeds Customer • Service 24/7 Worldwide Expectations In Quality and Performance” • QEI & MSCHA Training Ashland, Kentucky Phone: 606/928-2074 Fax: 606/928-0093 • NEMA4 / NEMA4X www.cwelectricinc.com • Installation of New Elevator Equipment FIlTERS / DISC • Modernization of Existing Elevator Equipment Peterson Filters Corp. • www.petersonfilters.com Specializing in Vacuum Filter Equipment Since 1943 New Solutions to • Experienced specialists Old Problems • Economical solutions • Rapid on-time delivery • Filtration laboratory testing www.delawareelevator.com • Engineering report preparation 800-787-0436 Fine coal preparation circuits for filtering clean coal & refuse slurries CALL TODAY! 801-487-7761 - Corp • 304-469-2978 - Eastern US
64 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com GUNITE MOTORIZED CONVEYOR PULLEYS
Gunite Shotcrete 20 Million Tons, Grouting No Problem Bolting Pneumatic Backfilling Complete Mine Services RULMECA CORPORATION Call: 740-312-2400 6508 Windmill Way Suite B Wilmington, NC 28405 Rulmeca Motorized Pulleys - since 1953 www.guniteconst.com 910-794-9294 www.rulmecacorp.com/cp
PIPING & PUMPING SYSTEMS HOLDBACKS PIPING / FABRICATION
Polyethylene Piping Headquarters Your HDPE Specialists 1.800.927.3262 Fabrication Pumps Fusion Pipe Huntington, WV • Parkersburg, WV Beckley, WV • Norton, VA SILOS - STACKING TABLES “Service is more than a promise.” SILOS – STACKING TUBES Telephone (800) 334-5226 Fax (304) 736-8551
New construction, repairs & inspections • Master stocking distributor 1.800.353.3747 • Fusion equipment rental www.leesupply.com 419-294-5609 419-294-6963 fax • Complete technical assistance www.san-con.com • Custom fabrication • Technicians available e-mail: [email protected] • Field fusion services 24 hours a day
PUMPS STEEL
The words • Large inventory of Hi-chrome pumps and parts. “HEAVY DUTY” • 100 percent Dimensional inspection on all parts. • Affordable Stainless Steel just took on a new • Signifi cant cost savings. • Upgraded bearing seal design • Corrosion and Abrasion Resistant meaning for your harsh available. • 45% Stronger than 304L SS* coal prep applications • Extensive distribution • 250 times more corrosion resistant network. than mild steel • Interchangeable with Warman® AH series. E-mail: [email protected] www.schurcoslurry.com Phone: 225-343-4219
[email protected] Schurco Slurry Pumps does not represent, or is not in any way affi liated with www.americanutility.net Warman ™ a registered trade mark of Weir Slurry Group LLC. All names, numbers, symbols and descriptions are used for reference purpose only and do (904) 356-6840 not imply that any part or pump listed is the product of Weir pumps. *(for thickness <8mm)
MAY Mine Safety / Electric Power Issue 65
• Affordable Stainless Steel • Corrosion and Abrasion Resistant • 45% Stronger than 304L SS* • 250 times more corrosion resistant than mild steel Phone: 225-343-4219
*(for thickness <8mm) MAY 2012 Advertising Index TORQUE TOOLS
DISPLAY ADVERTISING Advertiser ...... Pg.
A.L. Lee Corp...... 16 www.alleecorp.com American Mine Research ...... 13 www.americanmineresearch.com American Mining Insurance ...... 14 & 15 www.americanmining.com ASGCO...... 17. www.asgco.com Becker Wholesale Mine Supply ...... 68 (BC) www.beckerWMS.com Coal-Gen ...... 28 www.coal-gen.com Fenner Dunlop Engineered Conveyor Solutions ..7. www.fennerdunlopamericas.com FLEXCO ...... 9 www.flexco.com HSC Industrial ...... 20 www.hscindustrial.com Irwin Mine & Tunneling ...... 5 www.irwin.com L-3 Communications...... 10 www.L-3com.com Minesafe Electronics ...... 31 Farnham & Pfile Engineering...... 63 Martin Consulting...... 64 www.minesafe-electronics.com www.farnham-pfile.com www.martinconsulting.net MINExpo ...... 24 Formsprag Clutch ...... 65 Norbar Torque Tools, Inc...... 66 www.minexpo.com www.formsprag.com www.norbar-usa.com MineIndustryJobs.com...... 60 Gardner Paint Services, Inc...... 63 Paul’s Repair Shop ...... 64 www.mineindustryjobs.com www.gardnerpaint.com www.fanone.org R.M. Wilson Co, Inc ...... 23 Gunite Construction ...... 65 Pemco Corporation...... 64 www.rmwilson.com www.guniteconst.com www.pemco.net Setco Tire & Rim Assembly ...... 3 HardSteel, Inc...... 62 Peterson Filters Corp...... 64 www.setcosolidtire.com www.hardsteel.com www.petersonfilters.com Powerscreen Mid-Atlantic ...... 63 Strata Worldwide ...... 25 Industrial Resources, Inc ...... 62 www.powerscreenmidatl.com www.strataworldwide.com www.indres.com Precision Samplers, Inc...... 62 Tensar International Corp...... 21 Innovative Utility Products Corp ...... 62 www.precisionsamplers.com www.tensarcorp.com/cp_foam www.iupcorp.com Richwood ...... 62 & 63 Trojan Tire, Inc...... 11 Jabo Supply Corporation ...... 65 www.richwood.com www.trojantire.com www.jabosupply.com Rock & Coal Construction ...... 63 United Central Industrial Supply ...... 2 James A. Redding Co ...... 63 Rulmeca Corporation...... 65 www.unitedcentral.net www.jamesaredding.com www.rulmecacorp.com Whayne Supply Co ...... 16 La Marche Manufacturing ...... 63 San-Con Industries, Inc ...... 65 www.whayne.com www.lamarchemfg.com www.san-con.com Lee Supply Co., Inc...... 65 SCHURCO Slurry ...... 65 www.leesupply.com www.schurcoslurry.com PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIED Lincoln Contracting & Equip ...... 62 Skelly and Loy Engineering ...... 64 American Pulverizer Co ...... 63 www.lincolncontracting.com www.skellyloy.com www.americanpulverizer.com Marland Clutch ...... 63 Wear Services ...... 62 American Utility Metals ...... 65 www.marland.com www.wearservices.com www.aum1.com CBP Engineering Corporation ...... 62 www.cbpengineering.com Coalfield Services, Inc...... 64 www.coalfieldservices.com Corky Wells Electric ...... 64 COAL PEOPLE is the most comprehensive and unique editorial blend of human interest www.cwelectricinc.com and news in the coal mining / energy industry both in print and on-line. Cowin & Co., Inc...... 64 Visit www.coalpeople.com and see why CPM has been favored by readers and advertisers for more than 36 years and is considered the industry’s best! www.cowin-co.com Total Circulation: 14,380 Delaware Elevator ...... 64 Qualified recipients include owners and corporate management, operating www.delawareelevator.com management, and other titled and non-titled personnel. 66 Coal People Magazine www.coalpeople.com