Receiving the top honor for 2007 was Consolidation Coal's Robinson Run mine in Harrison County. The 502-worker complex worked a total of 1,071,364 man hours with an accident frequency rate of 1.12.
West Virginia Coal Association president Bill Raney, one of the award's presenters, said the operation was deserving of the honor. "Consol's Robinson Run has been an innovator and is a true model for operational safety."
He also went on to speak about the underground mines as well as surface properties and preparation facilities that were also presented with 2007 Mountaineer Guardian Safety awards: "They are truly setting the mark for our nation's coal mining industry."
In the underground division, the winners were presented by the geological area. In Region 1, those mines included Eastern Associated's Federal No. 2 (3.11 rate with 901,416 man hours), Consol Energy's McElroy mine (2.66 rate with 1,504,381 man hours) and Mettiki Coal's Mettiki E operation (4.98 rate with 321,223 man hours).
There was one winner in Region 2, Blue Haven Energy's No. 5 mine. Of 22,288 man hours worked by 10 employees, its accident rate was 0 for the year.
Two mines were presented awards in Region 3. They were Elk Run Coal's Black King 1-N portal (4.42 rate with 90,480 man hours), and Laurel Creek's No. 5 mine (3.19 rate with 125,534 man hours).
Finally, four underground complexes were winners in Region 4: Brooks Run Mining's No. 5 (2.93 rate with 136,494 man hours), Remington's Campbells Creek No. 7 (3.85 rate with 120,606 man hours) and White Buck Coal's No. 2 operation (0.0 rate with 103,621 man hours).
Six surface mines, nine preparation plants and one independent contractor were also presented with Mountaineer Guardian honors for the year 2007. They include:
Surface Mines
- Band Mill Coal Tower Mountain (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Fola Coal Surface No. 1 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- ICG Eastern Birch River (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Phoenix Coal Mac Holden 22 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Premium Energy No. 3 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Simmons Fork Paynter Branch (accident frequency rate 0.0)
Preparation facilities
- Appalachian Fuels Alloy Prep (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Brooks Run No. 1 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Catenary Coal Tom's Fork Loadout (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Emerald Processing South Hollow (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Hampden Coal No. 1 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- ICG Eastern Birch River (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Kepler Processing No. 1 (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Mingo Logan Coal's Cardinal (accident frequency rate 0.0)
- Pine Ridge Coal's Big Mt. Prep (accident frequency rate 0.0)
Independent Contractor
- Cecil I Walker (accident frequency rate 0.0)
At least one operator responded to the positive news Thursday, with Massey Energy praising the dedication of its Black King, Tower Mountain and White Buck operations workers for their achievement.
"Safety is the first thing every Massey member thinks about every day," said company president Don Blankenship. "We congratulate [those] members...for being awarded the...award and establishing outstanding safety records."
The awards, established in 1983 and a tradition at the WVCA's annual symposium, are bestowed each year during the event to operations initially nominated by state inspectors for commitment to safety.
