Community Remembers the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster
Sunday marked 16 years since one of the deadliest mine disasters in American history.
In 2010, 29 men lost their lives in a coal dust explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, making it one of the worst coal mining disasters in West Virginia history.
In remembrance of the disaster, the community is expected to hold a vigil on Monday.
The disaster happened roughly 1,000 feet underground when on April 5, 2010, sparks ignited a methane pocket, which cascaded into a coal dust explosion.
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EPA Walks Back Mercury Pollution Standards for Coal Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently axed measures meant to reduce pollution from coal plants.
It's reverting back to the Obama-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards from 2012, which the agency says are "highly effective," cutting mercury pollution from coal plants by about 90% by 2021.
In 2024, the Biden administration updated rules in an attempt to crack down on other remaining pollutants. This strengthened the emissions standards for filterable particulate matter, tightened mercury standards for lignite-fired power plants and required continuous emission monitoring systems.
However, the EPA's mountain and plains regional administrator, Cyrus Western, said the Biden regulations could have meant plants burning less coal.
"So if you stop burning coal, that means you stop buying coal," Western, also a former Wyoming state lawmaker, told the Mountain West News Bureau. "And if [plants] don't have a customer, they gotta shut down operations and lay people off."
But environmental groups say the move is an attack on public health. The nonprofit Earthjustice said the new standards allow plants to emit harmful mercury, heavy metals and soot, which it says can lead to heart and lung disease, cancer and premature death.
"With this move, the Trump administration is wiping out health protections critical for protecting children from toxins like mercury just to save the coal industry some money," Earthjustice attorney Nicholas Morales said in a press release.
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West Virginia's Coal Industry Feels Impact of Conflict in Iran
Nowhere close to the fighting in Iran, West Virginia's coal industry still is feeling the impact of the international situation.
Even before the war started, coal was negatively hit by the president's trade war tariff policy.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz looks like it will cause a surge in thermal coal demand and prices.
Asian utilities are moving to shift to coal amid soaring liquified natural gas and oil prices. The increased diesel prices are impacting production and transportation costs for coal.
Recent events have been a double-edged sword for the coal industry, but a lot of the world's liquefied natural gas supply travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which is closed.
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WV Coal Association Congratulates Frontieras North America on Breaking Ground on its $850 Million FASForm Facility in Mason County
The West Virginia Coal Association has congratulated Frontieras North America on the groundbreaking of its new $850 million commercialized FASForm facility in Mason County, marking a major milestone for advanced coal-based technologies and the state’s industrial future.
WVCA President and CEO Chris Hamilton joined business, community, and government leaders at Thursday’s ceremony, celebrating the company’s arrival and its transformative investment.
“What a pleasure it is to participate in this groundbreaking ceremony,” said Hamilton. “We’re thrilled to welcome Frontieras to West Virginia and to see this incredible technology move from the research lab to commercial operation. This project is proof that coal’s future in our state is brighter than ever.”
The Mason County facility will utilize coal as its primary feedstock to produce a range of advanced carbon and alternative fuel products — a process Hamilton compared to a “coal-based version of a traditional gas cracker plant.” When fully operational, the facility is expected to consume approximately 2.7 million tons of high-grade northern Appalachian coal annually, supporting an estimated 458 direct mining jobs and hundreds more throughout the economy.
“This single project represents more than $90 million in annual wages tied to coal supply and $5 million in severance taxes — a real win for West Virginia miners and our state economy,” Hamilton added. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, our congressional delegation, and the Energy Dominance Council, the timing couldn’t be better for this kind of innovation and investment.”
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CORESafety: Collegiate Mine Rescue Training
Welcome to the new Collegiate Mine Rescue Training episode of Think About This, created for you by CORESafety TV and the National Mining Association (NMA).
Mine rescue training is an integral part of the mining industry, driven by men and women who prepare themselves to save lives before accidents happen.
Today, there are a number of colleges and organizations that sponsor mine rescue training programs.
This CORESafety TV episode explains more about the students, teachers, trainers and volunteers who are taking part in these efforts.
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