Feature Stories
If We Want to Keep the Gadgets Coming, Let’s Mine Greenland
February 6, 2015
Without neodymium, your ears would be sad. The magnetic fields generated by drivers made of this strange metal, a component of high-end speakers, create the crisp vibrations your brain interprets as your favorite Weezer album. Without dysprosium, Prius owners would
United Mine Workers Continue to Fight for Coal’s Role in the Economy
February 3, 2015
Last week, the United Mine Workers of America celebrated its 125th anniversary. The union has faced a lot of issues during its existence — from government takeovers to increased safety regulations, including a number of major ones that remain unresolved
Championing Regulation, EPA Brings More ‘Extreme’ to the X Games
February 2, 2015
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy traveled to the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. last week to raise awareness of climate change and its effects on snow based recreation. In an attempt to reach a younger audience, McCarthy spoke
EPA Putting Electricity Grid At Risk
January 30, 2015
When the temperature dips below freezing, reliable electricity becomes more than a matter of convenience but a matter of life and death. Unfortunately, the reliability of our electric grid is at-risk due to EPA regulations that are shutting down America’s
John Pippy: Coal Still Plays a Big Role in Pennsylvania
January 23, 2015
Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord’s recent op-ed supporting the EPA’s so-called Clean Power Plan mandating carbon emission standards (“Pennsylvania Should Embrace the New-Energy Economy,” Dec. 30) came up short in several respects. Mr. McCord acknowledged that compliance with the proposed standards
Coal Companies Boast Flexibility with Utility Contracts as they Adjust to a New Normal
January 19, 2015
More than 100 coal-fired power plants nationwide either plan to shut down or already closed their doors in 2014, as the market responds to stricter environmental regulations, cheap natural gas and lackluster electricity demand growth, according to a survey done
Martin Engineering Celebrates 70th Anniversary
January 8, 2015
A global innovator in bulk material handling is celebrating 70 years of designing high-quality equipment and accessories, serving customers in a wide range of industries around the world. Along with spearheading efforts in safety and education, Martin Engineering has had
Pennsylvania’s Mine Technology and Training Center Trains Coal Miners for Zero-Accident Mines
January 6, 2015
A dozen or so Pennsylvania state mine inspectors gathered to hear the situation: “Art Vandelay,” the midnight shift mine inspector, had lost contact with those on the surface after radioing in that he noticed smoke at the front end of
New Regulations Go Beyond Just Coal Mining
December 19, 2014
This is the first in a series looking at the state of the coal industry as it deals with increasing regulations and a changing market. George Sidney, president and chief operating officer for McLanahan Corp., was strolling through his company’s
New Invention Ali Jak Changing the Way Mining Companies Treat Mine Waste Water
December 10, 2014
A revolutionary new machine designed and built in Gympie, Queensland is set to change the way mining companies think about toxic waste water. Ali Jak, named after inventor Jason McPherson’s children, uses “dark science” to turn once unusable CSG frack
