Scheduled for February 3-5 at the Charleston Civic Center, the event will again include a health and safety session, as well as a forum on environmental issues.

After a lunch on February 3, the health and safety session will begin with a roundtable on the federal mine safety and enforcement program.

Presenting will be agency administrator Kevin Stricklin as well as District 3 manager Bob Cornett and District 4 manager Robert Hardman.

State Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training deputy director CA Phillips and Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety board administrator Joel Watts will then discuss West Virginia mine safety updates, and state Mine Safety Task Force representative Jim Dean will talk about proximity detection devices.

In the afternoon, Alpha Engineering’s Gary Hartsog will present information on deep cut mining, followed by a coal safety legal forum that includes input by Mark Health and Spilman Thomas & Battle; Dave Hardy of Allen Guthrie McHugh & Thomas, and Dinsmore and Shohl’s Bob Beatty.

The health and safety presentations will be held simultaneously with an environmental session, which will begin with a state mining regulatory update by WVCA’s Jason Bostic.

Spilman Thomas and Battle’s Allyn Turner will then present an update on NPDES, along with Office of Surface Mining speaker Roger Calhoun’s update of the agency’s oversight activities.

Huntington Corps of Engineers’ Ginger Mullins will discuss permitting updates from that office.

The afternoon will end with presentations on Environmental Protection Agency permitting and “Conductivity Ranges” by Ed Kirk of REIC.

Thursday will begin with a discussion of Central Appalachian challenges by Alliance Coal’s Joe Craft.

National Mining Association president Hal Quinn will follow with the group’s US coal forecast for 2010.

West Virginia state governor Joe Manchin will take the stage just before lunch, offering his annual State of the State, followed by Southern States Energy Board executive director Ken Nemeth with American Energy Securities Study.

After the presentation of the Mountaineer Guardian awards to mines across the state, Mine Safety and Health Administration head Joe Main will discuss the agency’s plans for 2010.

West Virginia University’s Tom Witt will then talk about the state’s coal economy.

Before wrapping for a legislative reception that evening, the WVCA has devoted time for the Mountain Top Mining Coalition, Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary and FACES of Coal to present information about coal advocacy.

The final day of the symposium, February 5, will offer just a morning session but promises diverse topical interest.

US Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito will begin the talks with Congressional Activity Relating to Coal, followed by new US Office of Surface Mining director Joseph Pizarchik speaking about the office’s plans for the year.

Mid-morning will include a talk titled “Renewable Energy – The Gap Between the Idea and Reality” by Dr Charles Bayless, followed by an update of environmental litigation by Bob McLusky of legal firm Jackson Kelly.

Before adjourning the event with a reclamation awards lunch, guests are invited to the final presentation, regarding West Virginia’s mining and reclamation program, by WV Department of Environmental Protection cabinet secretary Randy Huffman and director Tom Clarke.

To register for the event or for more information, please visit the WVCA web site.