The inaugural gathering has been set for October 10-11 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, West Virginia. Sessions have been divided into the categories of disaster prevention and response, acute and chronic disease, human systems and design and technology for prevention.

Speakers will include US Mine Safety and Health Administration assistant secretary Joseph Main, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health research director Dr Jeffrey Kohler, National Mining Association regulatory affairs senior vice president Bruce Watzman, United Mine Workers of America safety and health director Dennis O’Dell, United Steelworkers Union director Michael Wright and West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training director C A Phillips.

Foundation directors Michael Karmis of Virginia Tech, David Wegman from the University of Massachusetts and West Virginia University’s Keith Heasley will introduce the speakers and panelists.

The event is open to anyone wishing to attend and participate. No pre-registration is required.

The Alpha Foundation was established in April following a non-prosecution agreement between Alpha Natural Resources and the United States Attorney’s Office.

According to the foundation, its vision is to “enable miners in the future to be free of work-related injury or disease by the implementation of the results of the projects funded by the foundation and undertaken by the best researchers from any discipline that can contribute".

It is also working to improve mine health and safety through funding research and development projects.

Under the Alpha/AGO deal, the Foundation was earmarked $US48 million for their work.

“The safety of our employees is the highest value of our company and mine safety and health is imperative to the success of our industry,” Alpha chief executive officer Kevin Crutchfield said when the foundation was unveiled.

“This presents a tremendous opportunity to drive the latest developments and innovation in mine safety and health to the benefit of miners around the world."

US Attorney R Booth Goodwin II commented on the establishment of the independent entity, saying Heasley, Wegman and Karmis were leaders in mine and workplace safety.

“Each board member brings many years of research experience and world-class expertise that will help the foundation foster life-saving advances in mine safety and health.”

Goodwin noted the research and development component of the agreement the USAO, DOJ and Alpha set up last December “holds the promise of breakthroughs that will transform mine safety in the coming decades”

“The foundation will jumpstart innovation and put brilliant minds to work on the risks that coal miners face,” he said.

“We look forward to a future in which coal mining is as safe as any other occupation.”

Alpha’s unprecedented $210 million agreement stemmed from the April 2010 UBB explosion.

Under the deal’s terms, Alpha paid $34.8 million to resolve outstanding citations, violations and orders stemming not only from the federal UBB investigation but also from other non-UBB related matters involving legacy Massey divisions incurred prior to the acquisition.

It also paid $46.5 million to the families of the dead UBB workers – with $16.5 million already paid out or being paid in settlements.

The third component was a $48 million trust to fund research and development projects for the improvement of miner health and safety, which resulted in the establishment of the foundation.

One of the largest chunks of the settlement, $80 million, was earmarked for investments over two years to add safety measures at legacy Massey mines and Alpha mines. This includes ongoing safety skills and compliance training, the construction of a state-of-the-art safety training facility, and the development and placement of “next-generation” mine safety equipment.