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April 2018 www.coalage.com 13 news continued Peabody's Wild Boar Mine Honored With National Reclamation Award Peabody Energy's Wild Boar mine recently received the 2018 National Reclamation Award for reclamation work on the Barren Fork Pit. Awarded by the Interstate Mining Compact Commission in the coal category, the award recognizes the company's "dedication to the maintenance of envi- ronmental protection through efficient mining and reclamation practices." Wild Boar, located near Lynnville, Indiana, utilized innovation, ef- ficiency and care to successfully reclaim the forest and wildlife area at the Barren Fork Pit, Peabody said. Soil replacement has been abundant at Barren Fork and enhancement of forest areas now includes a mix of wildlife habitat including water depressions, small impoundments, and many brush and rock piles. Raptors and other wildlife are already utilizing these reclaimed areas. "We remain committed to land reclamation as an essential part of the coal mining process," said Peabody President, Americas, Kemal Williamson. "We are very proud of the recognition for the Wild Boar team as they restore lands for generations that follow." Wild Boar employs approximately 195 people and provided around $200 million in direct and indirect economic benefits to the region in 2017. The mine sold 2.7 million tons of coal in 2017, serving power customers in southern Indiana, as well as utility customers far beyond the region. "This recognition and the work at Barren Fork are demonstrations of Peabody's sustainability value in practice," said Marc Hathhorn, Peabody's group executive, Americas. "In 2017, we restored 40% more land than we disturbed, and Wild Boar's reclamation efforts were a big part of that success." Wild Boar was also honored for reclamation work at the Barren Fork Pit in 2017 with an Excellence in Mining and Reclamation Award from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources — Division of Reclamation. In 2017, across its U.S. and Australian platforms, Peabody re- stored 5,145 acres of mined lands into wildlife habitat, rangeland, hardwood forests, prime farmland, pastoral land and wetlands. In the U.S., this included 892 acres of forested area, 30 acres of wetlands and approximately eight miles of high-quality streams. In addition, Peabody planted 647,602 trees. The Interstate Mining Compact Commission is a multistate gov- ernmental agency representing the natural resource and related envi- ronmental protection interests of its member states. % a w a r d s pany still plans to develop its Cypress underground mine, which is part of the same Buck Creek complex as Poplar Grove. Cypress is permitted as a 3.8 million-tons-per-year mine. Majority of Voters Support Upgrading the Coal Fleet A majority of U.S. voters — 55% — believe the U.S. government should take action to upgrade the aging coal and nuclear fleet, according to a poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Nation- al Mining Association (NMA). Separately, when asked about high efficiency, low emission (HELE) technologies that are being used in new coal plants around the world, 73% of American voters be- lieve the U.S. should be prioritizing the use of these technologies, which are cited by many as the first step to near zero emissions from coal. "Today's poll finds that consumers believe in a diverse portfo- lio of fuels to power the U.S. grid, and believe that the U.S. should be a technology leader — not follower," said Hal Quinn, NMA president and CEO. "Diversity and innovation breed competition, reliability and resiliency and, when it comes to energy, all three benefit Americans. Our policies must now re-align with this prior- ity if we are to reclaim the technological leadership that we have lost to countries such as China." Coal and nuclear today account for 50% of U.S. electricity and yet the average coal plant is 39 years old and the average nuclear plant is 36 years old. These plants are ripe for upgrades that would make them more efficient and reduce emissions, but current permitting requirements under the New Source Review program prevent much-needed maintenance and im- provement, slowing or stopping projects designed to restore or improve unit efficiency lost over time through normal wear and tear and technological obsolescence. As plants are retired, in- stead of upgraded, more and more affordable, reliable energy is irreplaceably lost. In contrast with the U.S., which is home to just one ultra-su- percritical coal-fired power plant, of China's 100 most efficient coal plants, 90 are ultra-supercritical and 10 are supercritical. Ultra-supercritical plants are considered the gold standard in ef- ficiency and emissions reduction, subcritical plants are the least efficient, and supercritical plants fall in the middle of the two. Chinese companies are building new coal-fired plants every year that are among the cleanest in the world. While countries such as China and Japan have prioritized the use of the top technologies, the U.S. has fallen behind its global competitors. Today's poll shows overwhelming support for the U.S. to place a priority on the use of these technologies and a de- sire to regain our role as a technology leader. The poll was conducted from April 5-7, 2018, of 2,201 adults nationwide carrying a margin of error of +/- 2%. Rhino Sees Improvement Rhino Resource Partners reported a net loss of $18.7 million and Ad- justed EBITDA of $6.7 million, compared to a net loss of $3.8 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $4.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. Approximately $22.6 million of asset impairment charges impacted the net loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2017, Rhino said. In the fourth quarter of 2017, revenue and adjusted EBITDA improved year-over-year, according to Rick Boone, president and CEO of Rhino. "Our sales volume increased by 18% year-over-year or ap- proximately 1 million tons in 2017 when compared to 2016," he said. "We now have contracted sales in place for 2018 that will ex- ceed the levels we reached in 2017. With significant sales in place for 2018 and our constant focus on cost containment, we believe Rhino will continue to provide strong financial results in 2018." Contracted sales for 2018 have been completed for thermal coal and a small amount of met coal volumes to place over the