The annual conference, hosted this year at the Charleston Civic Center, will include an environmental session as well as a health and safety session.

Once again, both will be held simultaneously on March 6.

Among the planned presentations for those segments:

• New water quality standards – aluminum beryllium - Jennie Henthorn, Henthorn Environmental
• Options for water quality compliance – Allyn Turner, Spilman Thomas & Battle
• New rock dusting surveys – Randy Harris, WVOMHST.

A round-table discussion will also be offered in the health and safety session by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration.

MSHA administrator Kevin Stricklin and district managers Bob Cornett and Timothy Watkins will all take turns at the podium.

On Thursday, Consol president and chief executive officer Nicholas DeIuliis will present “Coal is the cornerstone of our energy future”; “State and world energy trends” will be the topic of a presentation from WV Department of Energy’s Jeff Herholdt; and an update on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Train wreck” will be given by Gene Trisko from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.

Friday’s speeches will run through the event’s noon adjournment. They include a railroad update

from Norfolk Southern’s Danny Smith and an environmental litigation update from law firm Jackson Kelly’s Bob McLusky.

The annual State of the State presentation is also on the symposium schedule, as is “Rules are rules” – a discussion of national mine safety enforcement trends by MSHA head Joseph Main.

Read ILN for coverage from the event as well as the winners of the Mountaineer Guardian and annual reclamation awards to be given during the week.