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EYEWITNESS LOCAL NEWS
WV MINING SYMPOSIUMfrom Eyewitness News Online CONSOL President Says Coal Has Role In Future, But Must Improve Safety Culture Reported by:  Associated PressWeb Producer: Jeff Morris Reported: Mar. 6, 2013 8:55 AM EST Updated: Mar. 7, 2013 8:34 PM EST
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
Coal has a role in the nation's energy future, but the president of CONSOL Energy said West Virginia must improve its safety culture to participate fully. Nicholas DeIuliis said Thursday in Charleston that a string of fatalities has forced the industry to re-examine itself. Last year was Pennsylvania-based CONSOL's safest year on record. But recent fatalities at its Robinson Run and Loveridge mines have forced company officials to look inward for answers. DeIuliis said incremental safety improvements aren't good enough: The shared industry goal should be zero accidents. Operators can and have embraced new technology. But DeIuliis said the biggest challenge is still getting into the hearts and heads of every coal miner. He said 80 percent of the safety equation is personal choice and decision-making. Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said he will carefully comb through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reach into West Virginia. Morrisey spoke Thursday at the 40th annual West Virginia Mining Symposium at the Charleston Civic Center. The event is conducted by the West Virginia Coal Association. The EPA has repeatedly sparred with the mining industry over Clean Water Act-related permits, particularly for mountaintop removal mining operations. Earlier this month, Gina McCarthy was nominated by President Obama to lead the EPA. Morrisey, who took over as state attorney general in January, says his staff is going to be more aggressive to ensure that West Virginia's interests are protected. Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said safety talks that he ordered for more than 500 West Virginia coal operations after a string of deaths are complete. Tomblin ordered the one-hour talks with employees last month after four mining deaths in a period of two weeks. Tomblin didn't provide details of the review during a six-minute speech Thursday at the 40th annual West Virginia Mining Symposium at the Charleston Civic Center. The event is conducted by the West Virginia Coal Association. State Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training spokeswoman Leslie Fitzwater said figures are still being compiled on the number of workers involved in the talks. The West Virginia Mining Symposium is under way in Charleston, but the industry meetings are happening behind closed doors until Thursday. Sen. Joe Manchin was supposed to kick off the three-day conference Wednesday at the Charleston Civic Center but canceled. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are on deck for Thursday, while Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, David McKinley and Nick Rahall are expected Friday. Dozens of speakers will discuss environmental, legal and regulatory issues, from drug testing and the legal liabilities of mine inspectors to enforcement trends. Jeff Herholdt of the West Virginia Department of Energy will discuss state and global energy trends, while Jeffrey Kohler of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will focus on mine-safety research. Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Sen. Joe Manchin is kicking off the West Virginia Mining Symposium in Charleston, offering what he calls "a centrist's view" of life inside the beltway. The three-day conference gets under way Wednesday morning at the Charleston Civic Center. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey are on deck for Thursday, while Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, David McKinley and Nick Rahall have been invited Friday. Dozens of speakers will discuss environmental, legal and regulatory issues facing industry, from drug testing and the legal liabilities of mine inspectors to enforcement trends. Jeff Herholdt of the West Virginia Department of Energy will discuss state and global energy trends, while Jeffrey Kohler of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will focus on mine-safety research. Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. MORE NEWS FROM EYEWITNESS NEWS
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