Officials say longwall could change scope of mining in Greene County
WHITELEY TWP. – While longwall mining in the Pittsburgh coal seam has been done for the past 30 years, a new ultrawall machine dedicated at RAG American Coal’s Cumberland Mine on Wednesday may change the scope of mining at that site for years to come. Company officials said the $38 million investment marks a long-term commitment to the employees of the mine, the community and Greene County, and to the nation’s energy supply system.
James J. Bryja, president of RAG Pennsylvania Services Corp., called the longwall “essential” to the safe and profitable operation of the mine. Overall, RAG produced 65 million tons of coal at its 13 mines last year, including 6.6 million tons from Cumberland. RAG officials said they expect that number to rise with the new machine.
The new ultrawall is much larger than the existing longwall. Bryja said while the basics of longwall mining will remain the same, the new machine will extract more coal more quickly and will be monitored through computer controls on the shields and face conveyers.
“When you combine the equipment with a dedicated and experienced work force, Cumberland will be a safe, effective, low-cost coal producer that will be competitive in any marketplace for years to come,” he said.
James Roberts, president and CEO of RAG American Coal Holding, Inc., said the company’s Pennsylvania mines are its flagship operations and have statewide reserves and remaining coal to be mined that could keep them up and running for another 50 years. He said the company could be viable that long if a number of actions follow suit.
“We need financially sound and competitively positioned customers, regulatory certainty on several environmental issues and an emphasis on cost-control measures,” he said. “Also, there needs to be a recognition by management and labor that we are partners and not adversaries.”
Ed Yankovich, United Mine Workers of America District 2 president, said such a large capital investment by a company such as RAG provides the 564 employees, 420 of whom are represented by the union, a sense of job stability.
“The company and the union have a working relationship,” he said. “The company has made the investment, which means true job security for these workers.”
Roberts also used the ceremony as an opportunity to remind the media and all in attendance of the role that coal plays in the national energy mix, saying coal contributes $161 billion annually to the U.S. economy and generates 52 percent of the nation’s electricity.
“We would have to build 200 more average-size nuclear power plants to produce the same amount of electricity from coal,” he said. “We would have to triple the number of plants if coal were eliminated.”
Prices of coal are one-quarter those charged for oil and gas, Roberts said, claiming that if coal were eliminated as an energy source, utility bills would increase four times their current rate. He said the nation has 250 years of coal reserves, and new technology has enabled companies to mine coal without as many detrimental effects on the air, water, and land.
He cautioned his comments by stressing that many groups would like to see the use of coal as an energy source eliminated, but he said that much of America’s oil and gas is purchased from other nations, in particular those in the Middle East. He said there is no guarantee that the U.S. will be able to buy those fuels next week or next year.
“Coal is affordable, abundant, and it is becoming clearer every day it is indispensable as a vital component of the national energy policy,” he said.
The ceremony comes on the heels of announcements last week by the Greene County chief assessor that coal may not be a revenue source much longer; however, company officials claim the plans brought out last week do not identify future areas that may be permitted so more coal can be mined.
“The only information the county has is on what is identified and permitted,” Bryja said. “We are always looking to expand our operation in any way we can.”
Bryja said the machine was tested Tuesday and began in limited production Wednesday while the existing longwall is retired.
He said the mine has an annual payroll of $35 million, with another $16 million in benefits. Another $49 million is spent annually in a four-county area on supplies and services for the mine, he said.