Mines Recognized for Safety Records

 

 

May 18, 2019 - Buchanan County and Tazewell County coal mining operations were among the 20 coal mines presented awards Thursday by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) for no injuries on their sites in 2018.

Nine miners were also recognized with individual awards for working decades without an injury; in addition, five surface mines will receive a special award for the entire crew working five years without a lost time accident, according to a statement released Thursday by the DMME.

“The operators and miners are to be commended for such attention to safety at their sites,” Virginia Mine Chief Randy Moore said. “Our mine safety team also deserves credit for their public service of visiting these sites, talking with miners and training the workforce in an effort to ensure all coal miners return home safely at the end of their shifts”

Even more admirable is the fact there were no fatalities in Virginia’s coal industry in 2018, DMME officials said. The Commonwealth’s last coal mining fatality was in 2015.

In 2018, 25 coal mines worked a combined nearly 2.5 million employee hours without a lost time accident. All of these mines will be recognized for their extraordinary safety achievements with awards presented by DMME on behalf of the Virginia Mine Safety Board, according to the agency’s press release.

The following mining operations will be recognized for exemplary safety records in 2018:

Surface operations in which the entire crew worked at least five years with no time lost for accidents:

• Black Diamond Company, Wellmore #8 Prep Plant, Buchanan County – 540,179 employee hours.

• Paramont Contura, LLC, Tom’s Creek Complex, Wise County – 365,607 employee hours.

• Surface Minerals Company, Huffman Fork, Buchanan County – 335,378 employee hours.

• Ramaco Resources Land Holdings, LLC, Coal Creek Prep Plant, Tazewell County – 207,127 employee hours.

•  Savage Services Corporation, Savage Blending Terminal, Wise County – 140,157 employee hours.

Large Underground Category

• Buchanan Minerals, LLC, Buchanan Mine #1, Buchanan County – 1,407,719 employee hours

Medium Underground Category

• AB&J Coal Company, Inc. No. 6 Mine, Buchanan County – 48,041 employee hours.

Large Surface Category

• Surface Minerals, Surface Mine No. 1, Buchanan County – 148,984 employee hours.

• Black Diamond Company, Wellmore #8 Prep Plant, Buchanan County – 129,225 employee hours.

• Paramont Contura, Toms Creek Prep Plant, Wise County – 82,209 employee hours.

• Surface Minerals, Huffman Fork , Buchanan County– 80,964 employee hours.

• Paramont Contura, LLC, Long Branch Surface & HWM, Dickenson County – 67,757 employee hours.

• BlackJewel, LLC, P-7 Pigeon Creek, Wise County – 65,745 employee hours.

• BlackJewel, LLC, P-14, Lee County – 58,288 employee hours.

• Ridgetop Development, #1, Wise County – 55,375employee hours.

Medium Surface Category

• Mill Creek Mining, Ken Energy Corporation, Dickenson County – 47,456 employee hours.

• Apex Energy, Inc., No. 10, Buchanan County – 44,038 employee hours.

• Ramaco Resources, Coal Creek Prep Plant, Tazewell County – 40,425 employee hours.

• Humphreys Enterprises, Inc., Wise County – 28,027 employee hours.

• Extra Energy, Inc., VA Point Surface, Tazewell County – 27,484 employee hours.

• True Energy, LLC, True Energy Fuels Mine, Wise County– 26,570 employee hours.

Small Surface Category

• Savage Services, Savage Blending Terminal, Wise County– 24,906 employee hours.

• Surface Minerals Company, Hackney, Buchanan County – 22,933 employee hours.

• Wellmore Coal Company, LLC, #7 Prep Plant, Buchanan County– 17,102 employee hours.

• C W Augering, Inc., No. 2, Buchanan County – 10,288 employee hours.

40-Year Individual Awards

• Randy Mullins, Paramont Contura – 43 years.

30-Year Individual Awards

• Robin Chisenhall, Paramont Contura – 33 years.

• Mike Cox, Paramont Contura – 30 years.

20-Year Individual Awards

• Joe McFarland, Paramont Contura – 22 years.

• Kenneth Webb, Paramont Contura – 22 years.

• Ronny Smith, Paramont Contura, 22 years.

• Dave Dillon, Paramont Contura, 20 years

10-Year Individual Awards

• Jamie Ratliff, Paramont Contura – 18 years.

 

• Brad Ratliff, Paramont Contura – 13 years.