LOGAN COAL VENDORS

• Coal was first discovered in what is now West Virginia in 1742 by John Peter Salley in what is now Boone County.
• Coal occurs in 53 of West Virginia's 55 Counties only Jefferson and Hardy in the eastern panhandle have no coal.
• Forty-three counties have reserves of minable (economic) coal. WV Coal Reserve Table
• There are 117 named coal seams in West Virginia.
• Sixty-five seams are considered minable.
• In 2005 coal was produced from 54 different coal seams in West Virginia.
• The Pittsburgh coal seam accounted for nearly 37 million tons of production in 2005.
• West Virginia has 4% of all coal reserves.
  

• Annually, 27 West Virginia counties produce coal.
• McDowell County has produced more coal than any other county in West Virginia.
• The West Virginia coal industry provides about 50,000 direct jobs in WV, including miners, mine contractors, coal preparation plant employees and mine supply companies.
• Underground mines in 2005 produced 98 million tons with 43 million tons from longwall mining.
• Surface mines account for over 55 million tons of production each year.
• In 2005 surface mines produced 60 million tons with over 42 million from Mountain Top mining.
• In 2005 West Virginia mines produced over 159 million tons.
• West Virginia produces about 15 % of total coal production in the U.S.
• West Virginia leads the nation in underground coal production.
• West Virginia leads the nation in coal exports with over 50 million tons shipped to 23 countries.
• West Virginia Coal accounts for about 50% of US coal exports.

• Taxes paid by the coal industry and by utility companies that make electricity using West Virginia coal account for two-thirds, or over 60% of business taxes paid in our state.
• The coal industry pays approximately $70 million in property taxes annually.
• The Coal Severance Tax adds approximately $214 million into West Virginia's economy.
• Twenty-four million dollars of coal severance taxes collected each year goes directly into the Infrastructure Bond Fund.
• All 55 counties, even the non-coal producing counties receive Coal Severance Tax funds.
• The coal industry payroll is nearly $2 billion per year.
• Coal is responsible for more than $3.5 billion annually in the gross state product.

• More than half of the nation's electricity is generated from coal.
• In West Virginia 99% of the generated electricity comes from coal.
• There are currently 14 coal fired electric generating facilities located in West Virginia.
  Coal provides the majority of electric power in 32 states.
• In the United States, the demand for electricity has increased 136% since 1970.
• National demand for electricity is expected to increase by another 24 percent by 2020.
• Emissions from power plants have been reduced by 1/3 over the past 30 years.
• It has been estimated that 13 percent of the national power requirement is taken up by activities associated with computers and information technology.
  

• Since 1983, yearly fatal accidents have totaled less than 20 per year, the only exceptions being 1991 with 22 fatal accidents and 2006 with 25.
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  The last year mining deaths exceeded 100 was in 1968 when 152 miners lost their lives in West Virginia mines.
• Lost-time injuries totaled about 1,100 in the last reporting year (2005).
• Over 5,700 inspections of WV mining operations were conducted by WVMHS&T inspection personnel in 2005.
• Over 10,0000 violations were written by WVMHS&T inspectors 2005.
• Over 125,000 safety contacts were made by WVMHS&T staff, with more than 28,000 hours devoted to training and safety issues in 2005.
• Nearly 18,000 certifications in 25 different classifications were issued by WVMHS&T safety instructors in 2005.
• Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards were presented to 23 West Virginia mining operations during 2006 for outstanding mine safety achievements.

Source: West Virginia Office of Mine Safety and Training