Coal Age

JUL 2015

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n e w s c o n t i n u e d July 2015 www.coalage.com 17 The decision to move was made by U.S. District Judge Irene Berger; Berger has also moved the trial from Beckley to Charleston despite reported requests to move it from West Virginia entirely. The judge had also reportedly been asked by prosecutors and d efense attorneys to move the trial date back, though she had a lready denied an initial request to delay until January 2016, the AP said. In court filings, she noted she was "making an effort to err, if at all, on the side of caution," and decided that the push was for "good cause." In January, a hearing in the case was given a delay until April 20. That date, too, was rescheduled. The UBB blast in April 2010 killed 29 miners. Arch Coal Scheme Ringleader Sentenced to Prison T he individual at the center of an extortion scheme at an Arch Coal operation in southern West Virginia that extended over several years has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Booth Goodwin announced that David Runyon, 45, was also fined $15,000 for his role in the kickback scheme. He pleaded guilty to extortion and tax evasion last year, admit- ting that, as general manager of the Mountain Laurel mining com- plex, he had participated in and benefitted from several schemes where he and other Arch Coal employees were paid cash kickbacks from complicit Mountain Laurel vendors in exchange for the ven- dors' continued business at Mountain Laurel. The cash kickbacks totaled more than $1.8 million between 2006 and 2013. Runyon, one of 10 who have pleaded guilty to various roles in the circle, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1 million to Arch Coal and $325,485 to the Internal Revenue Service. MEC Calls Back 262 in West Virginia Murray Energy's Monongalia County Coal complex has called back 262 of its workers, bringing its miner payroll back up to 400 as it keeps returning to production following a temporary idling. The producer said June 18 that the mine, which had first shut down production March 31 and furloughed its crews, resumed par- tial production on June 8, citing environmental, regulatory and market conditions. This callback will allow it to continue operating on a reduced schedule. Chairman, President and CEO Robert E. Murray stated that, while the 400 positions are slightly reduced from prior levels, he is pleased to get the employees back to their posts. Otter Trail Plants Will Open Soon Before the end of summer, Minnesota-based Otter Tail Power Co. expects two of its three coal-burning power plants, 427-megawatt Coyote near Beulah, North Dakota, and 138-megawatt Hoot Lake near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to be fully operational again. Coyote has operated at about 50% capacity since late December 2014. The plant was totally idled for a couple of weeks following a December 4 mechanical failure. One unit was placed back in opera- tion before the end of last year. Otter Tail spokeswoman Cris Oehler said in early July that Coyote should be cranking out electricity at full capacity again sometime this summer after repairs are completed. Dakota Westmoreland's nearby Beulah surface mine normally "It's my baby," said Dave Navey, equipment specialist for Duke Energy. That 130-ton baby is a new energy-efficient locomotive that hauls coal cars down the track at Marshall Steam Station near Charlotte, North Carolina. Over the past year, Duke Energy has replaced older locomotives with high-efficiency Railserve LEAF Gen-Set Locomotives that are cutting emissions at some of the company's largest power plants. In addition to the one at Marshall, new locomotives are also operating at the Asheville Plant and Mayo Steam Plant near Raleigh."The numbers speak for themselves," said Navey. "As we introduce more green technolo- gies, alternative fuels, hybrids and plug-ins to our fleet, we are seeing emissions reductions that are good for the environment and good for the communities we serve." Exhaust emissions are reduced by 75% for nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide, exceeding 2015 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality standards for locomotives. They are cheaper to operate, burning 75% less diesel fuel. Older models consume an average of 55 gallons of engine oil a month compared with none per month with the LEAF. Instead of taking 20 minutes to crank up and reach operating condition, these machines take about 30 seconds. They are quieter, work by remote control, and are safer and easier to operate. "A conventional locomotive has a big old diesel engine that sucks up tons of fuel and blows out all kind of black soot. It runs a DC generator. The LEAF Locomotive runs an AC generator, which is more efficient, and it produces more power and torque," said Navey. Marshall Steam Station purchased the locomotive with the help of a $200,000 grant from the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) project at the North Carolina Solar Center, a project focused on reducing trans- portation-related emissions in North Carolina counties that have air qual- ity concerns. With the grant money and fuel savings combined, the price difference between a standard locomotive and this new technology will be paid for in less than two years. The Asheville and Mayo Plant locomotives were purchased without grant assistance, costing approximately $900,000 each. Duke Energy has plans to purchase additional LEAF locomotives for its other coal plants in the Carolinas and Midwest. Duke Energy Cuts Fuel Use and Emissions with New Locomotives B Y L I S A P A R R I S H News Continued on Page 49

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