CHARLESTON —
West Virginia officials estimated that joblessness among the state’s coal miners has eased as lawmakers sought favorable signs Monday for the state’s mining industry.
Around 4,740 miners have sought unemployment benefits since Jan. 1, said Russell Fry, acting executive director of WorkForce West Virginia. But about 2,220 of them did not file a claim for benefits within the past month, Fry told the House-Senate Joint Commission on Economic Development.
“These are individuals we would think may have returned to work,” said Fry, whose agency oversees the unemployment program.
Fry also noted that laid-off miners may not file any claims, choosing instead to retire or seek work in another industry.
West Virginia is the nation’s second-biggest coal producer. While mining accounts for just 5 percent of the state’s employments, those jobs tend to pay wages more than one-third higher than the state average. But such factors as cheap natural gas have slowed production in recent months, triggering mine shutdowns and layoffs.
But state Division of Energy Director John Herholdt reminded the lawmakers that American Electric Power recently announced that it did not plan to switch to the cheaper fossil fuel.
“We think the worst is behind us as far as the challenge to electricity production,” Herholdt said.
Herholdt also told the joint panel that the latest estimate has 17 billion tons of recoverable coal in West Virginia.
“We still have adequate coal for a century-plus with today’s mining techniques,” he said. “We continue to make the case to our president and Congress that coal is a viable energy resource, and we need to make sure that our nation takes advantage of this affordable, abundant resource.”
Other speakers addressed economic alternatives for the coalfields if the downturn persists or worsens. One, Bob Brown, cited the ambitious Reconnecting McDowell initiative.
The proposed five-year plan involving private companies, nonprofit groups, government agencies and others seeks to rescue that county’s ailing public schools by addressing such community ills as substandard housing, drug abuse and chronic unemployment.
McDowell was once the heart of the West Virginia coalfields, and nearly 100,000 people lived there in the 1950s when machines began replacing miners. Its population has since dwindled to 22,100. Brown said a major challenge to Reconnecting McDowell has been sufficient training and skills among its working-age adults. Finding people who can pass drugs tests has been another, Brown said.
West Virginia
Lawmakers focus on coal downturn
Number of state miners seeking unemployment benefits has dropped
- West Virginia
-
-
Protesters rally at FirstEnergy annual meeting
At least 200 union workers picketed FirstEnergy’s annual shareholder meeting in West Virginia on Tuesday, demanding the Ohio-based utility hire enough people to keep the power on without forcing an ever-shrinking labor force to work as many as 1,800 hours of overtime a year.
-
Waiver eliminates ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach
West Virginia won limited freedom Monday from the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind, gaining approval of its own method for identifying struggling schools and then devoting resources to improve them.
-
W.Va. gets reprieve from No Child Left Behind law
West Virginia has won some limited freedom from the federal education law known as No Child Left Behind.
-
Big decision looms for W.Va. House
West Virginia’s House of Delegates faces a momentous decision after Speaker Rick Thompson departs for Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Cabinet: Choosing a new leader will help set the stage for 2014, when Republicans aim to wipe out the Democrats’ ebbing majority.
-
Coin commemorates W.Va.’s 150th birthday
West Virginia is adding a commemorative coin to the celebratory mix for its 150th birthday, the commission overseeing the sesquicentennial activities announced Saturday.
-
Record trout caught in Berkeley County
The Division of Natural Resources says a record rainbow trout was caught in Berkeley County.
DNR director Frank Jezioro says the trout was caught by Tony Corbin of Gerrardstown on May 2 from a private pond. -
West Virginia House speaker to step down, take Cabinet position
House Speaker Richard Thompson will resign from the West Virginia Legislature next month to join Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Cabinet as secretary of Veterans Assistance, the governor announced Thursday.
-
Transcript: Teenagers planned friend’s death
Transcripts of a secret plea hearing show a teenager involved in the 2012 stabbing death of a Star City girl planned the slaying with an accomplice. But their motive remains unclear.
-
Teacher in ‘bad kid fort’ incident has been rehired
A Wood County teacher who put a box labeled “bad kid fort” around a special-needs student will return to the classroom in the fall.
-
Consol will restart Blacksville mine Monday
Consol Energy says it’s got federal approval to restart its sprawling Blacksville No. 2 coal mine with the morning shift on Monday.
- More West Virginia Headlines
-
Protesters rally at FirstEnergy annual meeting
