Feature Stories
Alberta Coal Town Struggles with Closure of Grande Cache’s Coal Mine
October 23, 2017
For the past year and a half, Clancy Feller has watched his friends and former co-workers pack up their homes and seek new opportunities anywhere else. It’s a tough move for those leaving the picturesque Rocky Mountain town of Grande
South Dakota’s Mining Town Lead Revitalized by Underground Science Lab
October 19, 2017
Small towns built around a single industry run the risk of having to reinvent themselves if the employer closes up shop. That’s what happened in the small South Dakota city of Lead. Nestled in the state’s Black Hills, Lead was
Clinton Crackel: Coal Can Eliminate Our Need for Foreign Oil
October 10, 2017
The Fischer-Tropsch process was developed in Germany in 1925 as means to convert coal into synthetic fuel for use in motorized vehicles. During World War II, this process accounted for approximately 9 percent of the total German war production of
Study Focuses on ‘Little Corner of Pennsylvania’ and Its Role in Coal
October 10, 2017
The counties of southwestern Pennsylvania that played a prominent role in the Industrial Revolution are primed for their time in the sun as tourists increasingly want to learn about the culture and heritage of the areas they visit. “The Morgan
Pennsylvania-based Eriez Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary
October 9, 2017
Tim Shutleworth, CEO of Eriez Manufacturing, feels grateful as he looks back at the last few years. First, he’s grateful that he didn’t have to show a profit each quarter. He’s equally grateful he had the money to invest in
Hard Work, Sense of Adventure Mark Tara Hutchison’s Mining Career at Sumitomo Metal
October 9, 2017
Tara Hutchison once dreamed of being a cartoonist, then she wanted to be a lawyer or an accountant. But life happened and she became a production geologist working at the Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo Mine, a “rock licker.” Like most
A Labor of Love: Coal Mining Continues Despite Unsettling Trends
October 2, 2017
Standing ankle deep in a hill of powdery clay, chunks of rock and waste coal, Patrick “Rooster” Baumann, senior project manager for Cloud Peak Energy, can just make out equipment sitting on a ridge outside the boundaries of Antelope Mine
In Order for Asteroid Mining to Become a Reality, We’ll Need Better Telescopes
September 25, 2017
The idea of mining asteroids for precious mineral deposits has gained steam in recent years, with space mining startups focusing on logistics and governments like Luxembourg positioning themselves as big funders of the sector. But before we go asteroid mining,
Can China’s Clean Coal Technologies Help W. Va with Coal?
September 25, 2017
President Donald Trump made support of the coal industry a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, promising more jobs and increased investment in West Virginia and other coal producing states. If he wants to deliver on that promise, he might look
Is the World Warming to Clean Coal?
September 19, 2017
At an event in New Delhi last month, the Indian government’s chief economic adviser had strong words for critics of India’s energy sector. In a fiery defense of Indian coal energy, Arvind Subramanian — a former IMF economist who worked
