Feature Stories
Despite Bankruptcy and Illness, Bob Murray Remains a Loud Voice for Coal
November 11, 2019
The man most closely linked to President Trump’s push to make coal great again — and the head of the country’s largest privately owned coal mining company — is now the latest to reckon with the industry’s decline. Bob Murray
What Happened to the Coal Industry’s Come Back?
November 7, 2019
In 1923 there were 862,536 coal miners in the U.S., about 2 percent of the country’s total workforce. These days, their ranks are much thinner. As the Washington Post uncharitably pointed out in 2017, more people now work at Arby’s
Mining Industry Getting Smarter with Automation
November 5, 2019
The mining industry is at a critical juncture of transformation — and has to decide — adopting new technologies or being left behind. Despite being one of the very first industries, to adopt automation technology, it has not moved fast
Long-running Coal Plant on Navajo Reservation Nears Its End
November 5, 2019
Ron Little nestles into a familiar seat aboard a train locomotive and slides the window open, leaning out to get a better view of dozens of rail cars that stretch for a mile behind and the landscape he knows so
Pension Fears Grow After Largest Funder Murray Energy Files for Bankruptcy
November 4, 2019
Tom Kacsmar worked underground at a coal mine for nearly four decades. The promise of a decent pension and healthcare for life kept him at this dangerous job. Now, Kacsmar fears those benefits will get washed away by the bankruptcy
Rep. Raul Grijalva’s Mining Bill: Good for China, Bad for America
October 29, 2019
“The opportunity for the mining industry is tremendous. An industry that has experienced enormous public pressure and critique, accompanied by offshoring production overseas, can now evolve into one fundamental to supporting a shift to a low-carbon and sustainable energy system
WVU Projects Show Promises for Energy Efficiency and Recovery
October 28, 2019
Between new developments in rare earth element extraction efforts and the promise of more effective plant operations, research by the Mountaineer community promises to make the most of the state’s energy resources. West Virginia University has worked with the National
A Hundred Years Later, Montana’s Bureau of Mines and Geology is as Vital as Ever
October 24, 2019
The view from John Metesh’s corner office on the third floor of Montana Tech’s Natural Resources Building could not be more appropriate. Stretching to the horizon are the folds and ripples of the Summit Valley and its surrounding peaks. Headframes
At Its peak, Oliver Iron Mining Operated 128 Mines Across the Iron Range
October 24, 2019
The Oliver Iron Mining Company was one of the most prominent mining companies in the early decades of the Mesabi Iron Range. As a division of United States Steel, Oliver dwarfed its competitors — in 1920, it operated 128 mines
Miners Get Up-close Look at Cat® Loading and Hauling Systems
October 22, 2019
When it comes to loading and hauling solutions, Caterpillar boasts a truck for every site or application and a broad portfolio of loading tools. About 100 miners and Cat® dealers got to see that lineup for themselves at a recent
