Luncheon ceremony honors state’s mines’
At the recent co-located West Virginia Coal Show and West Virginia Coal Association Symposium, held in Charleston, March 31-April 1, the WVCA recognized and celebrated exemplary mine safety achievements of mining industry operations across the state.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training co-sponsor this special mining awards program.
Inspectors with the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training evaluate all coal operations and contractors to nominate the winners.
The 2025 Governor’s Milestones of Safety Awards presented during the event included:
In the Best of Class Statewide Awards, the Eustace E. Frederick Award for underground coal mines went to Allegheny Metallurgical, Longview Mine, and the Core Natural Resources ICG Beckley Pocahontas Mine. The Bart B. Lay Jr. Award for surface coal mines went to Blackhawk Mining’s Rockwell Mining Glancy Surface Mine and the Cleveland-Cliffs Princeton Coal, Extra Energy Loop Branch Surface Mine.
Mountaineer Guardian Awards were presented to the following mining operations:
Underground operations honored included Alliance Coal, Tunnel Ridge Mine; Alpha Metallurgical Resources’ Aracoma Cedar Grove Mine 3, Davy Branch and Lynn Branch No. 2; Alpha’s Kingston No. 2 and Marfork Coal Glen Alum Tunnel complexes; Blackhawk Mining’s Blue Creek No. 1; Kanawha Eagle Mining North Eagle, Panther Creek Winchester 2, Rockwell Mining Coal Branch No. 2, and Panther Creek American Eagle; Cleveland-Cliffs’ Princeton Coal Twin State Mining Mine No. 44; Core Natural Resources’ Mingo Logan Mountaineer II, Itmann #5, and Wolf Run Leer South mines; Coronado Global Resources’ Greenbrier Minerals Eagle No. 1 and Muddy Bridge operations; Ramaco Resources’ Eagle Seam Deep Mine and No. 2 Gas; Southern Minerals Raw Coal Mining Sewell Mine R; and United Coal Company, Pocahontas Coal Affinity Mine.
Surface operations included those owned by Alpha, Blackhawk, Central Coal, Cleveland-Cliffs, Coal-Mac, Coronado Global Resources, Eagle Summit Resources, Ed Coal, Greenbrier Smokeless Coal LP Minerals and United Coal Company.