On September 19, the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance announced the winners of its annual mine safety and mine reclamation awards.  Recognition is given for superior employee safety records and the completion of outstanding reclamation at coal mine sites throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Reclamation Awards

The PA Coal Alliance also recognizes the environmental enhancements and outstanding reclamation work completed by its members companies. 

Awards are made based on scores from the Department of Environmental Protection including number of acres previously affected by Abandoned Mine Lands, the number of acres mined, and post-mining land use.

The awards were presented to--

-- Small Project (Under 25 Acres): Robindale Energy Services, Inc. - Soberdash Site, Westmoreland County

An abandoned coal refuse pile was removed, 12 acres of land was recontoured, and proper soil nutrients were incorporated into the cover material during reclamation to provide a sustainable vegetative cover that significantly reduces erosion into the nearby Sewickley Creek.

-- Mid-Size Project (25-75 Acres) - RoxCoal, Inc. - Sarah Mine, Somerset County

RoxCoal reclaimed 43.5 surface acres from a deep mine site, taking special care of High Quality (HQ) and Cold Water Fishes (CWF) stream classifications during the reclamation process.

-- Best Overall - PBS Coals, Inc.- Tipple Mine, Somerset County

The 134-acre Tipple Mine was reclaimed and planted with crops and grasses. The restoration of cropland has provided farming back to the local farmers and the grasses provide habitat for wildlife. Reclamation at the Tipple Mine also removed buried abandoned mine refuse.

Safety Awards

The Keystone Mine Safety Awards are presented by PCA to recognize outstanding safety records at mine sites, with awards for both Manufacturer and Service Providers and Producers.

Awards are based on Mine Safety Health Administration or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety date, whichever is applicable, and are determined by non-fatal loss (NFDL) rates.

Keystone Mine Safety Manufacturer and Service Provider Safety Awards were presented to--

-- Small Field Service Provider: Musser Engineering - Number of Fatals, Nonfatal Days Lost [NFDL]  0.00 - 3,025 man-hours

-- Large Field Service Provider: JENNCHEM, LLC - NFDL 3.81  262,275 man-hours

-- Large Manufacturer: Jennmar Conveyors - NFDL 0.00  88,491 man-hours

Keystone Mine Safety Producer Safety Awards were presented to--

-- Small Surface Mine: Junior Coal Contracting Incorporated - Hoover Job - NFDL 0.00  58,839 man-hours

-- Large Surface Mine:  Heritage Coal & Natural Resources, LLC - Mast Mine - NFDL 0.00  167,087 man-hours

-- Small Continuous Mine: Rosebud Mining Company - Knob Creek - NFDL 0.00  47,388 man-hours

-- Large Continuous Mine: Rosebud Mining Company -  Madison Mine - NFDL 1.23  162,464 man-hours

-- Longwall Mine: Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC - Bailey Mine - NFDL 0.70  1,710,245 man-hours

Visit the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance website to learn more about Pennsylvania’s coal industry.

NewsClip:

-- WTAJ: Somerset County Coal Mines Recognized For Safety, Mine Reclamation

[Posted: September 19, 2024]

9/23/2024