EMLS Secretary/Treasurer Selected as Editor for Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal

The Energy & Mineral Law Society congratulates Sherra Kissee on her selection as a member of the editorial staff at the Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal.

The Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal publishes articles written by students, practitioners, and tenured academics about the legal environment of mining in Appalachia and beyond. For more information, visit the journal's website: www.anrlj.com.

EMLS Officers Selected as Editors for Appalachian Journal of Law

Two EMLS officers have been selected as associate editors for the Appalachian Journal of Law. The competition for editing positions on the journal was intense, but both Matt Hardin and Westley Ketron were chosen to serve on the editing staff for 2012-2013. Both Ketron and Hardin will be writing publishable student notes over the coming academic year, and look forward to contributing to the academic conversation on legal and policy concerns in the mining industry. Each of these new editors has past experience with the mining industry; Ketron served this summer as a law clerk for Alpha Natural Resources, and Hardin as a clerk for Fogle Keller Purdy, PLLC, a Kentucky defense firm which frequently represents coal mining interests.

Next week, the Appalachian Natural Resources Law Journal will be making its selections. Check this blog to find out which EMLS members were selected as editors for that publication, which specializes in articles dealing with energy issues in Appalachia.

EMLS featured on Coal Blog

The Energy & Mineral Law Society is pleased to announce that it has been featured on the CoalBlog, a blog hosted by the American Coal Council. You can view the CoalBlog post here.

The EMLS is a proud member of the American Coal Council, and supports the council's mission to "advance the power, the promise & the pride of America’s coal industry."

The Energy & Mineral Law Society is also engaged with other organizations working to secure a place for coal in America's energy future. The EMLS, either collectively or through its officers, also proudly supports groups such as the Virginia Mining Association, the Energy Bar Association, the Kentucky Mining Institute, the Illinois Mining Institute, the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation (EMLF), and the Defense Research Institute. Working together, we hope to educate both the bar and the public about problems facing the industry, as well as to promote possible solutions.

Touring the Ore Mining Areas of Upper Michigan

      EMLS president Matt Hardin spent the past week touring mine sites in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. To the left is an old mine shaft in the Keweenaw Peninsula, used to extract copper ore. This particular mine has been exhausted and is now used as an exhibition mine.

To the right is a photo of a surface mining operation in progress. This photo is several years old and the mine land has now been reclaimed. A photograph of this site as it stands today is virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding forestland.

 

To the left is the portal at the new Eagle mine, operated by Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott Eagle. The mine is located several miles north of Ishpeming, Michigan. This mine is entirely underground, and will be backfilled as mining is underway. Kennecott plans to harvest both iron and nickel ore once the mine is fully operational.

EMLS President Inducted into American Society of Mining and Reclamation

On Tuesday, EMLS president Matt Hardin was inducted into the American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR). The ASMR was founded in 1973 as a small advisory council concentrating on reclamation issues in the West Virginia coalfields, but has evolved over the years into an organization with members from twenty different countries around the globe. The ASMR has also broadened its focus from the reclamation of lands disturbed by coal mining to the reclamation of all lands disturbed by any type of mining.

We look forward to working with the American Society of Mining and Reclamation in its mission to ensure that the best, research-based reclamation techniques are used in the Appalachian coalfields.

EMLS Trip to 2012 West Virginia Black Lung Conference

       In early June, the EMLS traveled to Pipestem State Park in Pipestem, West Virginia for the 2012 Annual West Virginia Black Lung Conference. While there, we learned from doctors, regulators, and attorneys about current developments in the science of pneumoconiosis (commonly known as Black Lung Disease). We also had the chance to meet and speak with several officials from the Department of Labor, who are charged with adjudicating claims made by coal miners seeking Federal Black Lung Benefits.

       The hot topic in Pipestem was NIOSH's recent research identifying several "hot spots" for increased prevalence of pneumoconiosis. Most of these "hot spots" are located in central Appalachia. There is much debate over what these NIOSH findings mean, and especially about the role silica may play in the development of pneumoconiosis among central Appalachian miners. In the coming weeks, this blog will feature commentary on differing interpretations of NIOSH's research. Be sure to check back regularly.

EMLS Field Trip to Big Stone Gap

Back in May, the Energy & Mineral Law Society traveled to the 2012 Annual Conference of the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Over the course of two days, we learned about the latest experimental approaches to mine reclamation, gob removal, and reforestation with native plants.

To the right is an experimental reclamation site
we visited, which is run by Virginia Tech scientists in
Wise County, Virginia.

Welcome to the new EMLS Blog!

Welcome to the new EMLS blog. The Energy & Mineral Law Society at the Appalachian School of Law is excited to use this new medium to keep everyone up to date about our activities.

In the coming academic year, we'll be hosting a forum on surface mining regulations, a continuing legal education program for attorneys practicing in the field of mineral law, and an Arbor Day tree-planting event in rural Buchanan County, Virginia.

Check back regularly for updates on our organization and its work. We have an exciting and ambitious agenda, and we're glad to have the support of so many people from across the region following us and showing their support!