The annual Mountaineer Guardian award, presented by the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training (MHS&T) and the West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA), was awarded to Shoemaker Mine and Blacksville 2 Mine.

In addition, Robinson Run, located near Shinnston, was honored by the organizations with the 2003 Barton B. Lay Milestones of Safety Award, presented annually to acknowledge a state mining operation deserving of special recognition for its commitment to safety.

The awards were presented last week at a luncheon ceremony as part of the 31st Annual West Virginia Mining Symposium, sponsored by WVCA. In addition, Blacksville 2 won the 2002 Milestones of Safety Award and Shoemaker is a repeat Mountaineer Guardian winner, having received the award in 2002.

"We focus a lot of attention on safety performance. Receiving the Mountaineer Guardian Award demonstrates that the effort is producing results," said Consol coal operations CEO Peter Lilly.

A joint effort of MHS&T and WVCA, the Mountaineer Guardian Award program was established in 1983 to promote safety in the coalfields of West Virginia. To qualify for the awards program, mining operations must have accumulated qualifying amounts of production without a fatal accident, integrate innovative safety-awareness programs for employees, work cooperatively with state mine safety inspectors and be free of violations during the award period.