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news continued According to Bissett, at least 3,000 miners were laid off in eastern Kentucky in 2012. Only a fraction of that total lost employment in western Kentucky, mostly at Patriot Coal Co. mines that closed in Henderson County after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Led by Alliance Resource Partners��� River View underground mine in Union County, most of the region���s major producing mines enjoyed good years in 2012. River View, a continuous miner operation that turns out steam coal, saw its output soar to 8.6 million tons last year, highest in the region and up from 7.5 million tons in 2011 and 5.8 million tons in 2010. Some of the mine���s highsulfur coal is being shipped overseas. Armstrong Coal���s Equality surface mine in Ohio County was the St. Louis-based company���s top performer in 2012, extracting 2.8 million tons compared to 2 million tons in 2011. The company���s relatively new Kronos underground mine in Ohio County produced about 1.8 million tons in 2012, about the same as in 2011. Alliance also continued to score big with its Dotiki and Elk Creek underground mines in Hopkins County. Dotiki���s output was about 3.3 million tons in 2012, down slightly from 3.6 million tons in 2011. Elk Creek produced 3 million tons last year and 3.3 million tons in 2011. 2013 Ground Control Conference This year���s International Conference on Ground Control in Mining is scheduled for July 30-August 1. It will be held at the Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa in Morgantown, W.Va. Papers for the conference are due by March 15 and must address a ground control topic to be considered for the conference. The technical program covers all aspects of ground control from roof support strategies to engineering design. At the 2012 conference, the Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa was packed with 310 attendees included mining researchers, industry leaders, students and scholars from 15 different countries. The conference was sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, West Virginia University and the West Virginia Coal Association. A wide variety of mining organizations provided additional sponsorships during the three-day conference including both professional and social activities. The ICGCM���s aim is to promote closer communications among researchers, consultants, regulators, manufacturers and mine operators. As in previous conferences, the program is peer-reviewed under the direction of several ground control experts. Last year, 41 mines sent a total of 78 representatives to the conference. Additions to the conference included the awarding of a student scholarship, free registration for all students and the development of three featured papers sessions. The encouragement for additional student attendance and the formation of the new sessions were developed and implemented by Dr. Thomas Barczak and Dr. Steve Tadolini, the conference chairs. For more information on the 32nd International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, please visit http://icgcm.conferenceacademy.com/custom/icgcm/Home.aspx or www.mine.cemr.wvu.edu. 12 www.coalage.com KenAmerican Resources, a Murray Energy subsidiary, saw production climb in 2012 by almost a half-million tons, to 2.2 million tons from 1.75 million tons, at its Paradise No. 9 underground mine in Muhlenberg County. Smaller companies are carving out niches in the region as well. In March, Western Kentucky Minerals is expected to start production at the new Pea Ridge surface mine in Ohio County. Not a big mine, Pea Ridge is targeted for about 10,000 to 15,000 tons a month. Bissett said in late January that he has been hearing rumors about new mines or expansions of existing mines planned for western Kentucky this year, although he declined to elaborate. Cliffs Coal Operations Awarded Environmental Management Certification Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. announced that its North American Coal operations have been ISO 14001 certified. The Environmental Management System (EMS) certification has been awarded to Pinnacle Mining Co. and Cliffs Logan County Coal in West Virginia. In addition, Oak Grove Resources, located near Birmingham, Ala., was recently recommended for ISO 14001 certification. ISO 14001 is the internationally recognized standard for EMS designed to deliver world-class performance. The company indicated that the management standard will assist the operations in adhering to good environmental practices, conservation of input materials and energy, attainment of necessary permits and authorizations, and being socially responsible. ���Environmental stewardship is a Cliffs��� core value and this achievement is an illustration of our commitment to responsible, safe and sustainable coal operations,��� said David Webb, senior vice president of Global Coal Operations, Cliffs Natural Resources. ���The implementation of EMS standards is our proactive approach to manage environmental impacts with rigor and continuous improvement.��� Pinnacle Mining Co. LLC, Oak Grove Resources LLC and Cliffs Logan County Coal are subsidiaries of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. Kentucky Legislators Consider Ruling Against Gas Switching With some electric utilities in Kentucky considering repowering older coal-burning generating units with natural gas, a Kentucky legislator is sponsoring a bill this winter to prohibit the companies from using the state���s fuel-adjustment clause to recover certain gas-related costs. State Representative Jim Gooch, D-Providence, a longtime supporter of Kentucky���s coal industry, wants those utilities to think twice before switching from coal to gas. House Bill 110, he believes, would accomplish that objective. For many years, utilities in the commonwealth have been able to adjust, on a periodic basis, the amount they charge customers to buy coal for baseload power plants. The FAC either rises or falls based on a utility���s fuel costs. Coal accounts for more than 90% of electric generation in the state. Gooch insisted in an interview that his bill is not an attempt to insulate the coal industry from a resurgent competitor, namely natural gas. Historically low gas prices in early 2012 in the United States have been cited as one of the key reasons for a decline in coal���s portion of the country���s generation mix. Instead, Gooch refers to H.B. 110 as a ���consumer protection bill.��� In Kentucky, there has been little switching from coal to gas in the past year or so. But that could change in the next few years February 2013