Blacksburg Mine Safety and Rescue Competition Crowns Champs
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The Virginia Mining Institute held a competition in the New River Valley with eight different mining agencies from Southwest Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy) brought home a first place trophy from Blacksburg mining competition focused rescue and safety.
Danny Mullins, a mine safety inspector and member of the mine rescue team, outscored all other competitors in the pre-shift competition. Paramont Contura was the Grand Champion of the event.
A team from Arch Resources Leer Mine, Beckley, finished in third place in the rescue competition. Arch Resources also took second place in the combination award.
Alpha Metallurgical, also of Beckley, won first place in the first aid contest.
The contest was sponsored by the Virginia Mining Institute (VMI). An annual event, this competition puts teams across Appalachia against each other on a field where an underground coal mine emergency is simulated. The mine rescue teams use their training to solve problems and rescue anyone trapped. Those with the fewest mistakes that finish in the least amount of time are deemed the winners.
The teams competed to conduct rescue and recovery operations in a staged mine disaster scenario. Miners also competed in a First Aid skills competition and a bench contest in which they identified problems within breathing apparatuses.
Awards were presented at a banquet at The Inn at Virginia Tech wrapping up the week’s events.
• Grand Champion of Mine Rescue: Paramont Contura
• 1st Runner-Up of Mine Rescue: Wellmore Coal Company
• 2nd Runner-Up of Mine Rescue: Arch Resources Leer Mine
• 1st Place Mine Rescue Team Day 1: Wellmore Coal Company
• 2nd Place Team Day 1: Paramont Contura
• 3rd Place Team Day 1: Arch Resources Leer Mine
• 1st Place Mine Rescue Team Day 2: Southern Pocahontas
• 2nd Place Mine Rescue Team Day 2: Paramont Contura
• 3rd Place Mine Rescue Team Day 2: Arch Resources Beckley
• First Aid 1st Place: Alpha Metallurgical Resources Southern West Virginia
• First Aid 2nd Place: Paramont Contura
• Combination Award 1st Place: Paramont Contura
• Combination Award 2nd Place: Arch Resources Leer Mine
The combination award goes to the team with the best combined score for mine rescue and first aid.
• Bench 1st Place: BG4- Robbie Middleton, Paramont Contura
• Bench 2nd Place: BG4- Seth Porter, Alpha Metallurgical Resources Southern West Virginia
• Bench 1st Place: 240R- Shannon Moore, Wellmore Coal Company
• Bench 2nd Place: 240R- Wade Boggs, Arch Resources Leer Mine
• Pre-Shift 1st Place: Danny Mullins, Virginia Energy
• Pre-Shift 2nd Place: Joey Sykes, Paramont Contura
• Pre-Shift 3rd Place: James Thomas, Alpha Metallurgical Resources Southern West Virginia
Mine Rescue Teams:
• Alpha Metallurgical Resources Southern West Virginia Team, Beckley, WV
• Arch Resources/Beckley Complex Arch Beckley Team, Beckley, WV
• Arch Resources, Inc. Leer Mine Team, Grafton, WV
• Paramont Contura Paramont Team, Norton, VA
• Prairie State Generating Company Lively Grove Black Team, Marissa, IL
• Southern Pocahontas Mine Rescue Team, Pineville, WV
• Virginia Energy Team, Big Stone Gap, VA
• Wellmore Coal Company Wellmore Team, Grundy, VA
Source: The Register-Herald
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