Feature Stories
West Virginia’s Coalfield Development Working to End Coal Country’s Poverty Cycle
January 16, 2018
In 2010, Brandon Dennison was a 24-year-old with a big dream. Today, he’s the CEO of the Coalfield Development Corp., a multi-million-dollar operation dedicated to creating jobs and providing vital job training for southern West Virginia, where thousands of miners
Coal Minings’ Deep History in Southern Illinois
January 8, 2018
Louis Joliet and Pere Marquette, returning from an expedition on the Mississippi River in 1673, were the first explorers to notice the combustible material that would shape the Illinois economy. The coal just sat there on the surface like low-hanging
Nevada’s Top Mining Stories of 2017
January 4, 2018
Mining headlines in 2017 united the hardrock mining community of Northern Nevada, as readers rallied around news of tragedies, growth, regulatory changes and giving. Here is a look back at the top mining-related stories of the year. FOND FAREWELLS The
Low Emissions Technology Powers a Cleaner Coal Future
December 22, 2017
In terms of energy access, the importance of coal was once again highlighted when in October a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report detailed the significant role that coal has played in improving energy access around the world. The United
Michael Cole, CEO of Minnesota Miners: We Can Have Both Mining and Clean Water
December 18, 2017
I am writing this in response to C.A. Arneson’s commentary on 12/12/17 concerning copper nickel mining in northeast Minnesota. The first point I would like to counter is concerning Rep. Rick Nolan’s bill HR 3115. Nolan’s bill is wholly designed
Montana Mining Association: Flawed Portrayal of Mining Cleanup Rule
December 11, 2017
If you read the recent Associated Press article on an unnecessary mining regulation dropped by the EPA, you might believe there is nothing in place to prevent mining companies from a “rip, strip, and run” business model. The article reads
Rooted in Faith and Mining, Industrial Scientific’s Kenton McElhattan Forged His Own Path
December 4, 2017
The story of how Kenton McElhattan started Industrial Scientific 32 years ago is legendary, if chiseled for maximum effect by generations of employees and admirers. No doubt it was told again and again in recent days in remembrance of this
National Effort Underway to Prop Up Nuclear Plants
November 28, 2017
Federal and state officials are weighing proposals to keep otherwise uneconomic nuclear and coal-fired power plants from retiring. Waves of coal and nuclear plant retirements in recent years have sparked a nationwide debate over the value of baseload power, dividing
Ukraine Turns to American Coal to Defend Itself Against Russia
November 13, 2017
Sometimes, wars aren’t won by tank battles and infantry assaults. Sometimes, it comes down to keeping the heat on. As Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine nears its fifth calendar year — and as Ukraine’s infamously cold winter draws near —
Energy Secretary’s Proposal for Reshaping Electricity Markets Throws a Lifeline to Coal Markets
November 7, 2017
A proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry to alter the nation’s electricity markets would provide a windfall for a small group of companies — most strikingly one owned by coal magnate Bob Murray, a prominent backer of President Donald Trump.
