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West Virginia Coal Association history
West Virginia Coal Association company history timeline
1914 Eccles mine explosion kills 183.
Large-scale surface mining did not start until 1914, but with the development of huge shovels and draglines, the overburden can now be removed more easily and in recent years this method has become a major method of mining coal in West Virginia.
1915 Enoch Carver – WV Mine Inspector was killed while on the job.
1917 Mine Rescue Training began. (go to the mine rescue page featuring historical photographs)
1917 First Inspections of Quarry Operations by state inspectors.
1918 W. J. Heatherman appointed as Chief of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1920 “Battle of the Tug” between union miners and mine guards.
After the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, union miners surrendered their weapons. (Wikimedia Commons)
1925 Last year names of fatal accident victims were published in the WV Department of Mines’ Annual Report.
1934 West Virginia Coal Reserves first calculated.
1942 Jesse Redyardappointed as Chief of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1945 G. R. Spindler appointed as Chief of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1951 Explosion at Bunker Mine killed 10 miners.
1953 Federal Mine Safety Code for Bituminous and Lignite Coal Mines was published.
1955 Julius C. Olzer appointed as Chief of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1958 Title “Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines” created.
1961 Leonard J. Timms appointed as Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1966 Elmer C. Workman appointed as Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1969 Black Lung March was held by miners in Charleston.
1972 Buffalo Creek Flood disaster (mine dam burst) 118 deaths.
1976 Walter N. Miller appointed as Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1984 Barton B. Lay appointed as Director of the West Virginia Department of Mines.
1991 Stephen F. Webber appointed as Director of the Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training.
1996 Ronald L Harris appointed as Director of the Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training.
1999 Federal Court Action regarding Mountain Top Removal Surface Mines.
2003 Explosion in Shaft – 3 victims, McElroy Mine, Central Cambria Drilling Co. (contractor)
2006 Mine explosion at Sago mine claims 12 lives.
2010 Mine explosion at Performance UBBMC Montcoal Eagle Mine claims 29 lives. (April 5, 2010 – Upper Big Branch)
2012 Director C. A. Phillips retired from the State of West Virginia with nearly 12 years service effective December 31, 2012
2015 Fewest fatal mine accidents – 2
In 2016 a federal judge ruled that Blair had been removed improperly from the National Register and eventually it was put back on the list.
2018 Eugene White appointed as Director of the WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety & Training by Governor Jim Justice on November 2, 2018
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of West Virginia Coal Association, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about West Virginia Coal Association. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at West Virginia Coal Association. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by West Virginia Coal Association. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of West Virginia Coal Association and its employees or that of Zippia.
West Virginia Coal Association may also be known as or be related to Association West Virginia Coal, WEST VIRGINIA COAL ASSOCIATION INC and West Virginia Coal Association.