October 21
On the first of a two-day awards ceremony, honors were given in the Division of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement’s Pikeville and Prestonsburg regional areas; mine safety awards were presented to surface and underground mining operations located in the Hazard, Martin and Pikeville districts.
The Excellence in Reclamation honor in the Pikeville region went to Premier Elkhorn Coal for its 1,158-acre surface complex near Esco, Pike County, which is being successfully reclaimed to commercial forestland and a fish and wildlife habitat.
The Excellence in Reclamation Award in the Prestonsburg region was presented to Middle Fork Development Services No. 2 for a 265-acre surface complex in Fritz, Magoffin County, that is being reclaimed to pastureland and forestland.
Blue Diamond Mining’s No. 77 underground mine and the B&W Resources Chavies Job 7 surface mining operation earned exceptional mine safety awards in the Hazard District. The former had annual production of 233,000 tons, employed 46 miners that worked a total of 424 shifts, totaling 116,354 man hours, with no reportable accidents during the year. The latter had annual production of 257,300 tons and employed 29 miners on two shifts with no reportable accidents.
Exemplary mine safety honors in the Martin District went to Eagle Coal Co.’s No. 25 underground mine and Blackhawk Mining’s Blackhawk No. 1 surface operation. No. 25 had annual production of more than 356,600 tons with 42 miners working 165,657 man hours with only one reportable accident. Blackhawk No. 1 had 188,870 tons of production with 14 miners and no reportable accidents.
Finally, the awards for exceptional mine safety in the Pikeville District went to CS & S Coal’s Center Creek underground mine and PIA’s No. 8 surface operation. The deep mine had more than 88,000 tons produced with 17 workers who totaled 43,950 man hours with no reportable accidents. No. 8 surface had annual production of 178,800 tons with a staff of 18 who had no reportable accidents.
October 22
On the second day of award recognitions, the DNR and KCA jointly presented reclamation awards in the London and Middlesboro regions and mine safety awards in the Barbourville and Harlan districts.
Excellence in Reclamation in the London Regional Area was earned by B&W Coal for its 511-acre surface complex in Hazard, Perry County, which is being reclaimed for commercial/industrial development. Excellence in Reclamation for the Middlesboro region was presented to Jamieson Construction for its 338-acre surface operation near Calvin, Bell County, which has already been reclaimed for pastureland, forestland, a fish and wildlife habitat, and industrial/commercial development.
The Barbourville District awards for mine safety were given to Rockhampton Energy’s No. 3 underground mine and Pine Branch Mining’s Thunder Ridge Job 0122 surface operation. Rockhampton had annual production of 66,000 tons with 53 miners with a total of 131,147 man hours with only one minor reportable accident. Pine Branch Mining’s Thunder Ridge Job 0122 had 269,000 tons of production with 46 miners and four minor reportable accidents.
Finally, in the Harlan District, the awards for exceptional mine safety went to Lone Mountain Processing’s Cloverfork No. 1 underground mine and Nally & Hamilton’s Big Branch surface operation. The former had production of more than 944,000 tons, and 101 miners working 318,883 man hours with only one reportable accident. The latter had 417,800 tons of production with 39 miners and two minor reportable accidents.
