MSHA's Response to Corona Virus

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

MSHA's Response to Corona Virus Issue 2 ▪ 2020 2019 COAL Miner’s MeMORIAL THE MINING INDUSTRy’s RESPONSE TO COVID-19 MSHA’S RESPONSE TO CORONA VIRUS WORLD NEWS: UNLEASHING COAL IN INDIA Find Us on Facebook f coalenergyonline fhttps://www.facebook.com/coalenergyonline table of contents Features: 06 2019 Coal Miner’s Memorial 18 Safety First 2019 Novel Coronavirus 20 The American Mining Industry Responds to COVID-19 Health Crisis Departments: 2019 36 World News: Unleashing Coal in India Coal Miner’s Memorial 6 47 Member Spotlights In every issue: 03 Letter from your Publisher 04 Association Comparisons 25 In the Press 38 Association Members 48 Industry Events 50 Index to Advertisers 50 Upcoming Issue World News: INDIA 36 Published & Produced By: Martonick Publications, Inc. President: Contributing Writers: Maria Martonick Maria Martonick, Jenna Martonick PO Box 244322 Elenor Siebring, Kevin Harrigan Boynton Beach, FL 33424 Vice President: Julie Gates, Michelle Bloodworth Steve Martonick Rich Nolan, Jason Bohrer Toll Free Phone: (866) 387-0967 Jeremy J. Harrison, Shri Pralhad Joshi Toll Free Fax: (866) 458-6557 Managing Editor: A.J. Raleigh Graphic Designer: [email protected] Natalia Filatkina www.martonickpublications.com Research Coordinator: www.coalenergyonline.com Vivian Mofeed The opinions expressed by the authors of the articles contained in Coal Energy are those of the respective authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publisher. © Copyright 2020 ▌ Feature: COAL ENERGY ▌ 2013 ▪ 2 letter from THE PUBLISHER Dear readers, tions.com with any news that may be considered for publish in following issues. Welcome to Issue 2, 2020 of Coal Energy. Please visit our website, www.coalenergyonline. com, for current and prior editions of Coal En- This edition contains ergy. our annual memorial dedication to honor You can also like and share our facebook page the brave miners who (www.facebook.com/coalenergyonline) created passed away due to to network with the nations promoters of coal, mining accidents in suppliers of coal, and to serve as a public inter- the coal industry. Coal face for the image of coal energy. Energy, along with With the ongoing trend and convenience of our sponsors, would JULY 2020 electronic publications, we are pleased to inform like all of us to take you our online readership is increasing daily. To some time to remem- be added to our digital delivery database, please ber these eleven brave souls that lost their lives send an email to info@martonickpublications. in 2019. Without these courageous miners, the com with your subject as Digital Delivery. We are coal industry would not exist. We are extremely proud to announce that our facebook page now thankful to our sponsors who have made this has a weekly reach of over 5,000 contacts and dedication possible. is liked by 1,700 individuals and companies who Coal Energy remains proud to be the source support coal and coal energy. journal for information about coal related as- We extend a warm appreciation to our support- sociations in the industry. We currently provide ing advertisers, please support them as they information at your fingertips on different groups make the publication you are reading possible. If to benefit your companies’ needs and targets. your target market spans across to members of By providing information at a glance on each more than one coal association, then Coal Ener- group, and including current member lists, your gy is the place for you to represent your compa- company can analyze the forums available to ny. Please contact our advertising sales represen- market, promote, and lobby for America’s future tatives should you require additional information regarding coal energy. at [email protected]. In every issue Coal Energy brings you a mem- And again, thank you for picking up, or clicking ber list for each of the main coal organizations. on, another edition of Coal Energy. Whilst your company may already be listed, please remember you can feature your company If you have any questions, editorial submissions, in the member spotlights section by emailing advertising interest or just comments about Coal [email protected]. Energy please feel free to email me directly at [email protected]. In this issue, we also take a look at how the American mining industry is responding to CO- Warmest regards, VID-19. In our world news department, we visit India’s plan to unleash coal. Coal Energy also presents recent press releases Maria Martonick at a glance for the previous quarter. From finan- cial news and product releases, to grants and President awards, please email info@martonickpublica- Martonick Publications, Inc. 3 ▪ 2020 ▌COAL ENERGY ▌ Association Comparisons ASSOCIATION COMPARISONS ▌ Association Comparisons ► THE National MINING ► AMERICAN COAL ASH ASSOCIATION Association MISSION: The ACAA advances the management and use MISSION: of coal combustion products in ways that are NMA's mission is to build support for public pol- environmentally responsible, technically sound, icies that will help Americans fully and respon- commercially competitive and more supportive sibly benefit from our abundant domestic coal of a sustainable global community. and mineral resources. Our objective is to en- gage in and influence the public process on the most significant and timely issues that impact https://www.acaa-usa.org mining's ability to safely and sustainably locate, permit, mine, transport and utilize the nation's AMERICAN COAL COUNCIL vast resources. ► MISSION: NMA serves its membership by: American Coal Council (ACC) provides relevant • Promoting the safe production and use educational programs, market intelligence, ad- of coal and mineral resources vocacy support and peer-to-peer networking • Establishing a strong political presence forums to advance members’ commercial and in the Nation's Capital professional development interests. • Serving as the information center for and a single voice of U.S. mining ACC represents the collective interests of the • Addressing the current and future American coal industry ~ from the hole-in-the- policy needs of U.S. mining, mining equipment ground to the plug-in-the-wall ~ in advocating manufacturers and support services members for coal as an economic, abundant and environ- of NMA mentally sound fuel source ACC serves as an es- sential resource for industry, policy makers and https://www.nma.org public interest groups. The Association supports activities and objectives that advance coal sup- ply, consumption, transportation and trading. ►NATIONAL COAL TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION https://www.americancoalcouncil.org MISSION: To promote the safe, economical, and reliable WORLD Coal Association transport of coal by facilitating communication ► among coal transport, allied industries and as- MISSION: sociations to maximize sharing of best-practices The World Coal Association is a global indus- to serve the needs of industry and the public. try association comprising the major interna- tional coal producers and stakeholders. WCA https://movecoal.org works to demonstrate and gain acceptance for the fundamental role coal plays in achiev- ing a sustainable and lower carbon energy fu- AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MINING AND ture. Membership is open to companies and RECLAMATION not-for-profit organizations with a stake in the ► future of coal from anywhere in the world, MISSION: with member companies represented at Chief ASMR's mission is to represent and serve a di- Executive level.WCA is the global network for verse national and international community the coal industry. of scientists, practitioners, private industry, https://www.worldcoal.org technicians, educators, planners, and govern- ment regulators involved in mineral extraction and the reclamation of disturbed lands. ASMR RMEL promotes the advancement of basic and ap- ► plied reclamation science through research and MISSION: RMEL, through its diverse member- technology transfer in the Society's annual meet- ship, educational events, and programs, facili- ings, workshops, published proceedings, news- tates the discovery of solutions and strategies letters, Reclamation Matters magazine, and the for vital issues facing the electric utility indus- ASMR web site. try. https://www.asmr.us https://www.rmel.org 5 ▪ 2020 ▌COAL ENERGY ▌ 2019 MINER'S MEMORIAL Special thank you to our current sponsors: COAL ENERGY ▌ 2020 ▪ 6 ▌ 2019 Miner’s Memorial FELIX M. NORTH, 48, May 30 2019, Rex Coal Company Inc. Felix “Matt” North, 48 of Brownies Creek, passed away on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at the Johnson City Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. He was born in Pin- eville on August 24, 1970 and was the son of William E. “Cotton” and Joan Hall North. Matt believed in the Pen- tecostal faith and was proud to be a Coal Miner. In addition to his parents, Cotton and Joan of Miracle, Matt is survived by his daughter, Lindsey Marie Small- wood and her husband, Wesley of Tunnel Hill, GA and their soon to be born twin granddaughters whom Matt was excitedly waiting on the arrival of, Eleanor and Lillian Smallwood; his fiancé and the love of his life, Wendy Gaw Blanton of Harlan, and her children, Allison, Madison and Hunter Blanton; brothers and sisters, Linda Crider of Mir- acle, William “Junior” North of Sugar Valley, GA, Teresa North Powell of Berea, KY and Todd North and wife, Jes- sica of Chatsworth, GA; his great-nephew and special lil’ buddy, Levi Hamlin; and a host of nieces, nephews, great- nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends. 7 ▪ 2020 ▌COAL ENERGY ▌ 2019 Miner’s Memorial JOHN D. DITTERLINE, 55, January 5th 2019, Alliace Resource Partners LP John D. Ditterline, 55, of Equality, passed away at 4:45 a.m. on Sat- urday, Jan. 5, 2019 at the Hamilton Memorial Hospital in McLeans- boro, as a result of a tragic mine accident. John was born on Feb. 4, 1963 in Rosiclare, the son of the late John Franklin Ditterline and Mary Lee (Jones) Combs. John married Kim- berly A. Miller on Oct. 10, 2012. He was a private in the U.S.
Recommended publications
  • Ensuring a Robust COAL EXPORT MARKET
    Coal Exports / Rich Nolan Ensuring A Robust COAL EXPORT MARKET By Rich Nolan, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Mining Association lthough it is seldom acknowl- contain the largest recoverable coal edged in the mainstream reserves on earth—optimally exploiting press, coal remains both the that opportunity will require expan- leading fuel for electricity sion and improvements in the nation’s generation worldwide and shipping and port infrastructure. The Aa key input in the steelmaking pro- potential payoff of such investment is cess. The International Energy Agency significant, as coal exports’ economic reports that coal accounts for almost 40 contributions extend well beyond the percent of electricity generation globally activities at the mine mouth and include and projects that its consumption will employment related to downstream increase for at least the next five years. transportation providers, service com- Global consumption patterns con- panies that prepare and load coal for tinue to shift, however, with Asia now export shipment, and other businesses far and away the region with the greatest that are supported by coal export activ- coal demand and growth prospects. ity. (Please visit NMA’s uscoalexports. While that opens up significant export org for detailed news and information opportunities for U.S. mines—which on U.S. coal exports.) 4 | COAL TRANSPORTER COAL TRANSPORTER | 5 Where is U.S. Coal Exported? Metallurgical Coal Market resulting from industrial slowdowns due to COVID-19. Metallurgical or “met” coal is used to produce coke, which is “Metallurgical coal mines in Appalachia have slowed produc- integral to steelmaking. The steel industry uses coal coke to tion based on reduced demand from global steel produc- smelt iron ore into iron to make steel.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 United States District Court Eastern District Of
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 4:20-cv-00317-SEP ) PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION ) ) and ) ) ARCH RESOURCES, INC., ) ) Defendants. ) INTRODUCTION Flipping a light switch is the culmination of a long and convoluted process. The electricity needed to turn on that light—indeed, the electricity needed for any purpose, be it residential, commercial, or industrial—is generated at power plants owned by investor- or publicly-owned utilities and cooperatives, independent power producers, or the government. Joint Stipulation of Uncontested Facts (“JSUF”) (Doc. [301-1]) ¶ 4. Each power plant consists of one or more electricity generating units (“EGUs”). Id. ¶ 5. Each EGU uses one of a wide range of generating technologies to transform the energy in a specific fuel—e.g., uranium, coal, oil, natural gas, sunshine, wind, water—into electricity. Id. ¶ 6. The typical user of electrical power is indifferent to the method used to generate that power; to most of us, a megawatt is a megawatt is a megawatt. Id. ¶ 8. But to energy companies, utilities, policymakers, regulators, and investors (to name just a few), the process by which certain fuels are selected—or not—for 1 use in electricity generation is a matter of momentous consequence. This case is about that process. One of the most important fuels for electricity generation is thermal coal. Though it has steadily ceded ground to natural gas and renewables over the past twenty years, coal still provides 20 percent of our nation’s electricity, and it is projected to remain an important fuel source for decades to come.
    [Show full text]
  • As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5
    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2020 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEFORE THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED APPLICATION FOR AN ORDER PURSUANT TO SECTION 3(b)(2) OF THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED, DECLARING THAT ARCH COAL, INC. IS PRIMARILY ENGAGED IN A BUSINESS OTHER THAN THAT OF INVESTING, REINVESTING, OWNING, HOLDING, OR TRADING IN SECURITIES In the Matter of ARCH COAL, INC. File No. 812-15085 Please send all communications to: Robert G. Jones, Esq. Arch Coal, Inc. One CityPlace Drive, Suite 300 St. Louis, Missouri 63141 (314) 994-2700 Nabil Sabki, Esq. Latham & Watkins LLP 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800 Chicago, Illinois 60611 (312) 876-7700 This Application (including Exhibits) consists of 22 pages. 1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BEFORE THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION In the Matter of FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED APPLICATION FOR AN ORDER PURSUANT TO SECTION 3(b)(2) OF THE INVESTMENT ARCH COAL, INC. COMPANY ACT OF 1940, AS AMENDED, DECLARING THAT One CityPlace Drive, Suite 300 ARCH COAL, INC. IS PRIMARILY ENGAGED IN A BUSINESS St. Louis, Missouri 63141 OTHER THAN THAT OF INVESTING, REINVESTING, OWNING, HOLDING, OR TRADING IN SECURITIES. File No. 812-15085 I. SUMMARY OF RELIEF REQUESTED Arch Coal, Inc. (“Arch Coal” or the “Company”),1 a Delaware corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ARCH) with its principal executive office in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the world’s largest coal producers. Arch Coal hereby files this amended and restated application (this “Application”) and applies for an order (the “Requested Order”) of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Arch Resources Issues $53.1 Million in Tax-Exempt Bonds
    Arch Resources Issues $53.1 Million in Tax-Exempt Bonds July 6, 2020 Proceeds will fund ongoing buildout of transformational growth project at Leer South Transaction is more than 10 times oversubscribed Results in a highly competitive interest rate of 5.00 percent ST. LOUIS, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Arch Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ARCH) announced today that it has issued $53.1 million of bonds in the U.S. tax-exempt market through the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. The bonds are subject to a mandatory tender for purchase by the company on July 1, 2025. The proceeds will be used to fund a portion of the ongoing construction of the world-class Leer South mine in Barbour County, West Virginia, which is expected to commence longwall production in the third quarter of 2021. "We are pleased with the success of this offering, and appreciate the market's strong expression of confidence in Arch Resources and its long-term outlook for value creation and growth," said Matthew C. Giljum, Arch's chief financial officer. "The proceeds from this bond offering will support the ongoing build-out of Leer South – which we view as the premier growth project in the global metallurgical space – while helping to ensure that we maintain ample liquidity during the current period of market uncertainty." The transaction was more than 10 times oversubscribed, with orders in excess of $560 million, resulting in a highly competitive fixed interest rate of 5.00 percent. Arch Resources is the primary obligor on the secured bonds, with substantially all of its significant subsidiaries acting as guarantors.
    [Show full text]
  • Arch Resources Annual Report 2021
    Arch Resources Annual Report 2021 Form 10-K (NYSE:ARCH) Published: February 12th, 2021 PDF generated by stocklight.com UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, DC 20549 Form 10-K ☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 or ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Commission file number: 1-13105 Graphic Arch Resources, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 43-0921172 (State or other jurisdiction (I.R.S. Employer of incorporation or organization) Identification Number) One CityPlace Drive Suite 300 St. Louis Missouri 63141 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (314) 994-2700 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Name of Each Exchange on Which Title of Each Class Trading Symbol Registered Common Stock, $.01 par value ARCH New York Stock Exchange Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.Y es ☒ No ☐ Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes☐ No ☒ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
    [Show full text]
  • Midair Scare Brings Probe of 777S Turer Is Increasingly Hosting Crazereaches Beyond Shares Drive-Through Job Fairsand Rais- Favoredonsocial Media
    P2JW053000-6-A00100-27FFFF5178F ADVERTISEMENT Meetour new, easy-to-use trading platform: thinkorswim® Web. LearnmoreonpageR10. ****** MONDAY,FEBRUARY 22, 2021 ~VOL. CCLXXVII NO.42 WSJ.com HHHH $4.00 Last week: DJIA 31494.32 À 35.92 0.1% NASDAQ 13874.46 g 1.6% STOXX 600 414.88 À 0.2% 10-YR. TREASURY g 1 11/32 , yield 1.344% OIL $59.24 g $0.23 EURO $1.2120 YEN 105.43 Texas Thaws Out and Repairs Begin on Damage From the Cold Housing, What’s News Online Shopping Business&Finance Propel trength in housing and e- Scommerce during the pan- demic has helped propel hiring JobGains in blue-collar jobs,with em- ployment in some categories exceeding precrisis levels. A1 Blue-collar workers The jump this month in see boom, but some U.S. government-bond yields is sending tremors companies can’t find through stocks and forcing enough qualified help investorstomoreseriously confront the implications BY SARAH CHANEY CAMBON of rising interest rates. A1 Agroup of activist inves- GES TheU.S.’sblue-collar work- tors has abig stakeinKohl’s IMA forcehas begun to benefit from and is attempting to take astrengthening job market. control of the department- GETTY An Orlando,Fla.-area home store chain’s board. B1 AN/ builderisseeking to add four construction workerstoasix- M&T Bank is nearing a SULLIV person team in the midst of deal to acquire People’s TIN soaring housing demand during United Financial for more JUS SHELTER: Plumber Randy Calazans repaired a burst pipe in a home in HoustoN on Sunday, as temperatures climbed and the pandemic.InAtlanta, a than $7 billion, in the lat- Texas started to recover from severe weather that overwhelmed its power grid, leaving homes without heat for days.
    [Show full text]
  • Warming up for Thermal Coal
    RESEARCHNovemberREPORT 2, 2020 WarmingNovember Up For 2, Thermal 2020 Coal Insert Picture in Master View Coal Industry Deep Dive Warming Up For Thermal Coal Over the course of recent years, the QUIC E&U team has focused its attention upon numerous verticals within its coverage space; for example, upstream E&P companies, midstream operators and downstream refiners and marketers. However, all of such companies have one commonality: they pertain to oil & gas, as well as derivative products such as propane. Presently, the E&U team is content with its portfolio allocation strategy, and believes that such combines an ideal balance between upstream liquids torque and downstream/renewables hedging. Thus, the team thought that it would be interesting to take a deep dive into a commodity that has gained notoriety in recent years, yet has played an incredibly important role in getting society to where it is today: coal. More specifically, the team will be analyzing thermal coal, which is the variety that is utilized for energy generation. To begin, a general overview of the industry will be provided. Next, the team will outline the history behind coal, and the incredibly Energy & Utilities important role it has played in fueling the industrial revolution, as well as the economy & culture of numerous communities across the Garrett Johnston world. From there, some context will be provided in terms of coal’s recent decline, and the impact of various government policies upon [email protected] the commodity. Last, outlines of select publicly-traded coal Jamie Bennett companies will be provided, along with the team’s final conclusion as to whether or not there is still a case to be made in terms of [email protected] investing in the commodity given the current conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Case: 4:20-Cv-00317-SEP Doc. #: 449 Filed: 10/05/20 Page: 1 of 88 Pageid #: 67266
    Case: 4:20-cv-00317-SEP Doc. #: 449 Filed: 10/05/20 Page: 1 of 88 PageID #: 67266 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI EASTERN DIVISION FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. 4:20-cv-00317-SEP ) PEABODY ENERGY CORPORATION ) ) and ) ) ARCH RESOURCES, INC., ) ) Defendants. ) 0(025$1'8023,1,21 Flipping a light switch is the culmination of a long and convoluted process. The electricity needed to turn on that light—indeed, the electricity needed for any purpose, be it residential, commercial, or industrial—is generated at power plants owned by investor- or publicly-owned utilities and cooperatives, independent power producers, or the government. Joint Stipulation of Uncontested Facts (“JSUF”) (Doc. [301-1]) ¶ 4. Each power plant consists of one or more electricity generating units (“EGUs”). Id. ¶ 5. Each EGU uses one of a wide range of generating technologies to transform the energy in a specific fuel—e.g., uranium, coal, oil, natural gas, sunshine, wind, water—into electricity. Id. ¶ 6. The typical user of electrical power is indifferent to the method used to generate that power; to most of us, a megawatt is a megawatt is a megawatt. Id. ¶ 8. But to energy companies, utilities, policymakers, regulators, and investors (to name just a few), the process by which certain fuels are selected—or not—for 1 Case: 4:20-cv-00317-SEP Doc. #: 449 Filed: 10/05/20 Page: 2 of 88 PageID #: 67267 use in electricity generation is a matter of momentous consequence. This case is about that process. One of the most important fuels for electricity generation is thermal coal.
    [Show full text]
  • Cromer-Testimony-W-ATT-2021-06-15-Hearing
    TESTIMONY OF MARY VARSON CROMER BEFORE THE ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOR COAL COUNTRY: SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ENERGY TRANSITION JUNE 15, 2021 Chairperson Lowenthal, Ranking Member Stauber, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for allowing me to address you regarding the environmental justice impacts of coal’s decline on coalfield communities. My name is Mary Cromer. I am an attorney at Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, a small non- profit law and policy office in Whitesburg, Kentucky. We represent miners, individuals, families, and community groups affected by coal mining in Central Appalachia. I lead ACLC’s Environmental Justice Program. Over the past 12 years, I have represented a number of families and community groups in Central Appalachia who have been impacted by the environmental effects of coal mining in the region. The issues I am here to talk about are environmental justice issues. Coal mining has taken a severe toll on coalfield communities across the country. And as coal exits, its impacts are more and more apparent. You see it in the miners whose years of backbreaking and dangerous work has left them with disabling impairments. Black lung disease is rampant and much more severe than ever before. In Central Appalachia, we now see young miners die from severe black lung disease that was nearly unheard of in past decades. Its impacts are likewise apparent in the scarred land and polluted streams and rivers left behind by past mining operations. These are prevalent across coal mining communities in Central Appalachia.
    [Show full text]
  • Planning for Coal Mine Closure in the Powder River Basin New Analytical Model Reveals Which Remaining Mines and Communities Are Most at Risk from Unplanned Shutdown
    Planning for coal mine closure in the Powder River Basin New analytical model reveals which remaining mines and communities are most at risk from unplanned shutdown May 2021 | By Dan Cohn It’s said that the Stone Age didn’t end because of a lack of stone. Just so, the massive coal seams underlying the rangelands of Wyoming and Montana will outlast profitable coal mining. Five decades after the onset of major strip mining in what became the country’s most productive coal region, the Powder River Basin, coal communities find themselves in the midst of a well-known shift dubbed the “Seneca Effect:” although growth is slow and incremental, collapse is comparatively sudden.1 Since hitting peak coal output in 2010, Powder River Basin coal production has fallen by half in a decade. Against this backdrop of rapid decline, Sightline has developed an analytical model to assess which coal mines in the region are most at risk of closure. The findings reveal a stark reality: each mine in the region saw its domestic customers burn less coal in 2020 than they had averaged for the three years prior. Some of the reductions proved to be catastrophic. Of the two mines that saw the steepest declines in customers’ coal burn in 2020, one has already been permanently closed and another has announced plans to close permanently. The basin’s remaining coal mines face an array of challenging circumstances. Largely for financial reasons, utility companies and electricity markets alike now largely prioritize natural gas, wind, and solar over coal, leading to the retirement of many coal plants, an end to new coal plant construction, and a dramatic decline in coal burn.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 March 25, 2021 Jamie Connell, Director Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office 2850 Youngfield Street Lakewood, CO 80
    March 25, 2021 Jamie Connell, Director Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office 2850 Youngfield Street Lakewood, CO 80215 [email protected] Re: Mountain Coal Company’s Request for Royalty Relief on Federal Coal Leases COC1362, COC67232, COC56447, and D44569 Dear Director Connell: It has come to our attention that on January 15, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received a Royalty Rate Reduction application from Mountain Coal Company (MCC) for Federal Coal Leases COC1362, COC67232, COC56447, and D44569, and that this request is undergoing review. With the Biden Administration’s policy precluding subsidies to fossil fuels, High Country Conservation Advocates, Wilderness Workshop, Sierra Club, WildEarth Guardians, and Center for Biological Diversity implore BLM to ensure consistency with this policy direction by denying this royalty reduction request. Denying this request is also consistent with the Biden administrations’ acknowledgement of the climate crisis and the recognition that federal agency actions need to be responsive to this reality in their decisionmaking. In addition, MCC’s illegal and “negligent” behavior should also not be rewarded with continued subsidization of its West Elk coal mining operation. On January 27, 2021, President Biden committed to taking swift action to address the climate crisis, which included halting federal agencies from subsidizing fossil fuels. Per Executive Order 14,008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the Biden Administration recognized that “[t]he United States
    [Show full text]
  • Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining United States
    Mountain top removal coal mining United States Sectors: Coal Mining On record This profile is no longer actively maintained, with the information now possibly out of date Send feedback on this profile By: BankTrack Created before Nov 2016 Last update: Nov 30 2015 Project website Sectors Coal Mining Location About Mountain top removal coal mining Mountain top removal (MTR) mining is a form of strip mining in which coal companies use explosives to blast as much as 800 to 1,000 feet off the tops of mountains order to reach the coal seams that lie underneath. The resulting millions of tons of waste rock, dirt, and vegetation are then dumped into surrounding valleys, burying miles and miles of streams under piles of rubble hundreds of feet deep. Mountaintop removal mining harms not only aquatic ecosystem, and water quality, it also destroys hundreds of acres of healthy forests and fish and wildlife habitat, including habitat of threatened and endangered species, when the tops of mountains are blasted away. Throughout the Appalachian region of the Eastern United States, more than 500 mountains have been flattened, first by clear-cutting forests, then by blowing off the top layers of rock with powerful explosives. Giant cranes (draglines) expose buried coal by scraping billions of tons of dirt off the mountain. The debris is then dumped into neighboring valleys and streams. Rather than remove coal from the mountain, MTR removes the mountain from the coal. Latest developments Former Massey Energy executive found guilty of conspiracy Dec 3 2015 Patriot fasing out of coal, but Alpha and Arch not May 6 2014 What must happen We urge all private banks involved in commercial lending and investment banking services for the mining sector to end their relationships with companies who practice mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia.
    [Show full text]