Feature Stories
Calls to Eliminate Cheap, Plentiful Coal as a Key Energy Source Are Unrealistic
September 3, 2019
As the 2020 election draws closer, a number of candidates are calling for restrictive policies on the use of fossil fuels in the United States. Their overriding goal is to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — which they see as
Arizona Judge’s Ruling Against Rosemont Copper Mine Sends Shockwaves Through Industry
August 27, 2019
In a ruling that sent shockwaves through the nation’s mining industry, a federal judge in Arizona has vacated the permit for mining giant Hudbay Minerals Inc. to begin construction on its $1.9 billion Rosemont copper mine southeast of Tucson. The
Microbial Life Discovered Deep in Canada’s Kidd Creek Mine
August 27, 2019
Researchers have uncovered the first direct evidence of resident microbes in Kidd Creek Mine, a 3-kilometer-deep copper and zinc mine in Ontario. The findings, published last month (July 18) in Geomicrobiology Journal, confirm previous work indicating that ancient, sulfate-rich water
Mining Internship Provides Deep Learning Experience for Penn State Student
August 26, 2019
This summer, one Penn State Brandywine student struck gold with his internship. Literally. Rising junior Samuel Dikeumunna spent 11 weeks at the Turquoise Ridge/Twin Creeks gold mine operated by Nevada Gold Mines near Golconda, Nevada. His daily routine included taking
MSHA Audit Shows Mines No Safer Despite $1 Billion in Fines
August 26, 2019
An audit of the federal system that fines mining companies for unsafe conditions found no evidence that more than $1 billion in mine safety penalties over 18 years deterred unsafe mining practices. The four-year long audit from the Office of
New Caterpillar Facility in Arizona Promotes Collaboration and Innovation
August 19, 2019
When the Caterpillar Tucson Mining Center (TMC) opened in Tucson, Arizona, USA, in April 2019, it brought together several different entities that support surface mines around the world, enabling collaboration and innovation that will allow the company to better support
Why the Carbon Tax Would Backfire on America
August 5, 2019
Several members of Congress have floated different carbon tax bills in recent days, some of which have both Democratic and Republican sponsorship. But marginal bipartisan support for enacting a new tax on American families and businesses doesn’t make it good
Renovations Underway at Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine in Virginia
August 1, 2019
Renovations which will improve access into a exhibition coal mine and add new facilities to its adjoining museum were continuing Thursday in Tazewell County, Va. The Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine is among the Southwest Virginia economic development projects being funded
Coal Companies Begin to Adapt as Powder River Basin Restructures
July 29, 2019
In 2015 and 2016, three massive coal companies in Wyoming filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy: Arch Coal, Alpha Natural Resources and Peabody Energy. “The national story was [that] this is the warning for coal,” said Rob Godby, an energy economist
Modern Societies Require Minerals and Mining; America is Largely Dependent on Foreign Sources
July 29, 2019
Congressional bills would end U.S. mining and leave America dependent on foreign critical materials. When OPEC imposed its 1973 embargo, the United States was just over 40 percent dependent on foreign sources for its oil. But sudden price hikes and
