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14 www.coalage.com January-February 2017 news continued % a w a r d s Viking Mine Recognized for Environmental Excellence The Indiana Society of Mining Reclamation honored Peabody Energy with a 2016 Excellence in Mining and Reclamation Award for an ecological approach to restoration at the former Viking mine-Knox Pit south of Bick- nell in Knox County. The honors recognize efforts to restore prime farm- land and wildlife habitat, improve stream water quality, and enhance riparian and aquatic habitat. The work included reclaiming former refuse areas that were left in the mine lease area by a previous owner, which improved stream water quality. The highest honor presented by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Reclamation, the award was given at the annual Indiana Society of Mining and Reclamation, Technology Transfer Seminar in Evansville, Indiana. "Peabody is honored to receive this award," said Peabody Energy President-Americas Kemal Williamson. "We take pride in sustaining the land's natural resources and know the value restoration has for our com- munities and generations to come." Williamson said Peabody has been reclaiming lands for decades and led the industry's first land restoration initiatives in the 1950s, nearly a quarter century before the law required it. To date, the company has reclaimed more than 95% of the mined acreage at Viking mine-Knox Pit, which is advancing through final rec- lamation. Viking is the third Peabody Indiana mine in eight years to be recognized by the state's Society of Mining Reclamation. Peabody Gives Out Clean Coal Awards Peabody Energy recognized U.S. coal-fueled power plants for top environ- mental performance with the 2016 Peabody Energy Clean Coal Awards. Honors were determined based on data available from the Environmental Protection Agency for the lowest sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) emissions rates in addition to the best efficiency, which results in a lower carbon footprint. Awards were presented at Power-Gen International in Orlando, Flori- da, and honorees included: • Dynegy's Coffeen plant: Honored for the best SO 2 emissions rate among U.S. coal plants. The Coffeen plant has a SO 2 emissions pro- file that is 99% better than the U.S. coal fleet average. The 915-mega- watt power plant operates in Central Illinois and is more than 50 years old. The Coffeen plant uses low-sulfur Powder River Basin coal and add- ed a wet scrubber in 2009. • Southwestern Electric Power Co.'s (SWEPCO) John W. Turk Jr. plant: Honored for the best NO x emissions rate among U.S. coal plants. The Turk plant has a NO x emissions profile that is 79% better than the U.S. coal fleet average.The 600-megawatt ultra-supercritical power plant was built in Fulton, Arkansas, by SWEPCO, a unit of American Electric Power, and began commercial operation in 2012. • Longview Power LLC's Longview power plant: Honored for the lowest heat rate among U.S. coal plants. The Longview plant operates at a level of efficiency 15% better than the U.S. coal fleet average. Longview's best-in-class heat rate of 9,003 Btu per kilowatt hour in 2015 continues to improve, and the company's current efficiency performance is on track to be well below 8,900 Btu per kilowatt hour. The 705-megawatt supercritical power plant located in Maidsville, West Virginia, was commissioned in 2011. • Mississippi Power's Kemper County energy facility: Honored as Car- bon Capture, Use and Storage Pioneer. The 582-megawatt Kemper facility located in Kemper County, Mississippi, employs Transport Integrated Gasification technology that is expected to reduce CO 2 emissions by 65%. • NRG Energy and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration's Petra Nova car- bon capture project: Honored as Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Pioneer. The Petra Nova project demonstrates commercial-scale de- ployment of post-combustion carbon capture and is designed to cap- ture approximately 90% of CO 2 emissions from a 240-megawatt equivalent slipstream of flue gas from the W.A. Parish plant in Thompsons, Texas, southwest of Houston. Cloud Peak Receives Wildlife Stewardship Award for Eagle Protection Cloud Peak Energy's Antelope mine received the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Industry Reclamation Wildlife Stewardship Award. The mine, located in northeastern Wyoming, was recognized for its suc- cessful effort to promote population numbers of Golden Eagles and other raptors through habitat enhancement and use of effective protection measures, including rescuing a young eaglet that was later released at the mine following rehabilitation. "Environmental safeguards and restoration at Antelope mine are a key priority for us," said Steve Cowan, general manager of the Antelope mine. "The Powder River Basin provides natural habitat for a wide variety of birds and animals. Working with a broad team across the company and outside experts, we've been able to mitigate potential impacts while mining activity proceeds. We are demonstrating the ability to produce coal that provides safe, affordable and reliable electricity while at the same time being responsible stewards of the environment." Antelope mine implemented a unique and intensive monitoring pro- gram for the Golden Eagle territories located within the mine permit area. Since 2011, the mine has worked closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Service Office and Migratory Bird Permit Of- fice to ensure that mine operations do not negatively impact local Gold- en Eagle pairs. Antelope mine's intensive monitoring program, coupled with rapid operational adjustments, allows the mine to operate in proximity to ea- gle pairs, and at the same time fosters successful nesting of the area's Golden Eagle pairs. In the spring of 2015, as a result of Antelope mine's monitoring program, it was found that a Golden Eagle nest, previously near the top of the highwall, had fallen during an extreme storm. "Tum- bler," the young eaglet, had fallen to the bottom of the highwall. With the help of the Antelope mine personnel and the visiting biologist, Tumbler was rescued and temporarily relocated to the Ironside Bird Rescue facili- ty in Cody, Wyoming. A transitory home was created where he was trained to hunt for himself, provided visual images of other Golden Eagles, and received only limited human contact to help keep him wild. After a short stay at the bird rescue facility, the Antelope mine readily agreed to return Tumbler to his original nesting area, as this would pro- vide the best habitat for his long-term survival. In August 2015, Tumbler and his companion from the bird rescue facility, Hobbit, were released into their new habitat on land adjacent to the mine. Peabody reclaims refuse areas that were left by a previous owner.