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alpha academy continued Resources' achievement. In addition to Alpha miners and executives, the group included politicians, regulators from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and state agencies, the U.S. Attorney's Office, mining associations, a large contingent from the press, vendors and other supporters. Crutchfield acted as the master of ceremonies and the ceremony opened and closed with prayer. He invited Joe Main, assistant secretary for mine safety and health, MSHA, and Hal Quinn, president and CEO for the National Mining Association (NMA), to say a few words. Before he made his presentation, Crutchfield graciously turned the podium over to Dave Green, an Alpha miner who explained what the academy meant to him (See I am a Coal Miner sidebar). Speaking off the cuff, Main referred to the occasion as a "special event." This training center will benefit mine safety long into the future, he said, and it has the opportunity to change the culture and move mine The nameplate on each classroom resembles the controls for a roof bolter. safety in the right direction in this country. Main should know. He helped develop several training centers earlier in his career. For those who remember the 1970s, there were many training centers throughout the coalfields that no longer exist today. Reading from a prepared statement, Main said, "When the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia executed the non-prosecution agreement with Alpha Natural Resources on December 6, 2011, the stage was set for change in mine safety in Appalachia and throughout the country, including a change in the culture that existed as far as mine safety. Following the UBB disaster, it became abundantly clear that change was necessary. Miners need to be better protected from injuries, illness and death. We all knew that miners deserved better than the level of safety that existed. We knew we needed to get better at what we do and we have. "The action from the U.S. Attorney's Office has brought about much of the change we are seeing here today," Main said. "As the new employer for the Massey Energy miners, Alpha Natural Resources was able to chart a new course. Through the [Dec. 6] agreement, a number of commitments were made by Alpha to bring about better, safer mining practices. This not only benefits the former Massey Energy miners, but all miners in West Virginia and throughout the country." I Am a Coal Miner Dave Green is captain of the Coal River mine rescue team. He started as a miner at Massey Energy's Marfork mine in 2004. He has been involved with mine rescue for three years and his team is responsible for 32 coal mines. Crutchfield asked him to explain what the academy meant to him. Please forgive me for being slightly nervous, it's an awesome honor to stand before you today. I am a coal miner. My dad was a coal miner, my grandpa was a coal miner. I went underground in 2004 when I was 21 years old. Over the course of my career, I have laid track, shoveled coal and rock, moved belt, run buggies, miners, and bolted top. I have run mantrips, forklifts and scoops. To the world, I am a coal miner. To regulatory agencies, I am a coal miner. To politicians, I am a coal miner. To Alpha Natural Resources, I am a coal miner. And... I am proud of that. Applause erupts. When I go underground, I don't work alongside other coal miners. Sure the folks who work with me have done all of the things I said I have done, but to me they are not just coal miners. They are much more than that. They are family. Miners in the back call out "that's right." Several years ago, I joined Alpha's southern West Virginia regional mine rescue team. A big part of our responsibility as a team is to train at our various mine sites. I work with a group of men who are extremely passionate about what they do. Because, to them, they are not just training miners. 26 www.coalage.com Dave Green explains what the academy means to him. When we go to Horsecreek Eagle, we don't just do a fire drill with a buggy man. We work with Wes, who ran a buggy behind me for years, who has a beautiful family, loves to lift weights and loves WVU football. We don't just don rescuers with a bolt man. We work with Joey, who bolted top behind me for years, who just recently joined the Amazing Grace Church, and just like me has two beautiful young daughters. When we go to Slip Ridge, we don't just train coal miners how to render first aid to a fallen coworker. We work with Jason, my first cousin, who runs a continu- ous miner, just like his daddy did before he was injured in a roof fall in a West Virginia mine and now barely walks and only with a cane, and just like his uncle did before he lost his life in a West Virginia mine. Jason knows all too well how unforgiving the mining environment can be. Tears of pride now welling in his eyes… To you, these men might just be coal miners. And, that's O.K. There is a lot of pride in that. To me there's much more. These men are my brothers and this is why this academy means so much to me. You see I want the best for my brothers. And, this is the best. This training facility is the best in the industry. Someone recently asked me how safe I felt our mine sites were. My answer was that they are much safer than they have been in the past, but they are not nearly as safe as they will be in the future. More miners in the back call out "that's right!" in a revival like tone. I know that in order for us to reach our goal as a company of zero fatalities and zero injuries, that we must be progressive. This facility is true progress. I am very thankful to work for a company who truly believes in protecting our greatest resource, our coal miners, our brothers and our sisters. Standing ovation. Dave Green's speech is a powerful reminder of the caliber of the people who work at our coal mines, and to call this good man a brother is an honor—Kevin Crutchfield, president & CEO, Alpha Natural Resources. July 2013