The venue for the biennial conference – held in the Bluefield Coal Show's “off years” – is once again the Bluefield Holiday Inn, where the symposium themed "The Road to Zero Harm" will convene August 26 and 27.

The event will offer both exhibit space and a line-up of sessions by some of the industry's top operations representatives and regulators. The planned speakers and their presentations include:

Brett Harvey, Consol Energy: The Science and Culture of Safety;

Richard Stickler, MSHA: Progress with the MINER Act of 2006;

Dr Jeffery Kohler, NIOSH: Road to Zero Harm (keynote);

Jim Roberts, Foundation Coal: The View in Washington (keynote);

Mike Quillen, Alpha Natural Resources: Coal Market Dynamics; and

Rick Whiting, Patriot Coal: presentation TBD.

Four sessions on mine safety, mining legislation and training, and practical mine safety progress will also be held during the two-day event, including:

A Statistical Analysis of Coal Mining Accidents – NIOSH;

Eliminating Mining Accidents – John Gallick (Foundation Coal);

Communication and Tracking Initiatives – David Snyder (NIOSH);

Coal Mine Sealing Strategies – John Feddock (Marshall Miller & Associates);

Emergency Underground Mine Shelters – Eric Bauer (NIOSH); and

Progress in Mine Rescue Work – Kenny Murray (MSHA).

Speakers from equipment producers Bucyrus, Joy, Caterpillar and Komatsu will also make up an entire session with presentations on the progress that each original equipment manufacturer is making on equipment design for mine safety.

The following day, representatives from the coal and mining associations of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia will take the stage to discuss current plans, progress and the outlook within their state lines.

In the final afternoon of the symposium, several safety experts from the nation's largest producers will go over observations, practices and plans for miner safety initiatives at their mines. Those speakers include:

Sustainable Safety Excellence Through Technology Innovation – Elizabeth Chamberlin (Massey Energy);

Safety Observations at Alpha Natural Resources – Allen Dupree;

Making Absolute Zero Safety Happen – Lou Barletta Jr (Consol Energy); and

Progress with Mine Safety at Patriot – speaker TBD (Patriot Coal).

Those who wish to register should contact the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. For more information on the event, keep watching International Longwall News.