The operation received the Barton B Lay Milestone of Safety Award during the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards luncheon, held in conjunction with the conference at the Charleston House Holiday Inn. The Mountaineer Guardian program is sponsored by the West Virginia Officer of Miners’ Health Safety and Training and the WVCA and the Milestone of Safety award is its top honor.

“Our mine safety has improved year after year in West Virginia, and 2005 was the best year we’ve ever had. As an industry, we’re going to continue to work toward making our safety record better every year,” said WVCA president Bill Raney.

The 2005 Mountaineer Guardian Awards, also presented that day, were earned by the following:

Alex Energy WV (Trace Fork surface)

Argus Energy (Copley Trace surface)

Black Hawk Synfuel (KRT Quincy Dock)

Bluestone Coal (Pinnacle Ridge)

Brooks Run Mining (No. 10-A)

Coal River Mining (Fork Creek No. 1)

Consolidation Coal (Robinson Run)

Eastern Associated Coal (Harris Prep)

Elk Run Coal (West of Stollings)

Fola Coal (Surface Mine No. 1)

Kingwood Mining (White Tail K mine)

Kingwood Mining (White Tail Prep Plant)

Laurel Creek (No. 1)

McElroy Coal (Ireland Loadout)

Mingo Logan Coal (Mountaineer Alma A)

Pounding Mill Quarry (Mercer Crushed Stone Facility)

Premium Energy (Surface Mine No. 2)

Rock N Roll Coal Co. (Mine No. 3)

Simmons Fork Mining (Paynter Branch)

Weatherby Processing Corp (Remington Prep Plant)