West Virginia

New labor rule will prevent coal operators from putting black lung liabilities on taxpayers’ backs • West Virginia Watch

Published

1 year ago

December 19, 2024

New labor rule will prevent coal operators from putting black lung liabilities on taxpayers’ backs • West Virginia Watch

A new final rule was issued by the federal Department of Labor last week that will require coal operators who self-insure to post adequate security bonds that cover all of their black lung benefit liabilities.

The rule comes as a protection for coal miners who currently or could in the future receive black lung benefits, which are supposed to be paid by the operators who employed them and who, through that employment, exposed them to dangerous silica dust that causes black lung disease.

“This is a long-overdue rule that will have a significant impact in helping to ensure benefits to miners who have contracted black lung will be paid, and be paid by those responsible — the coal companies,” said Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, in an emailed news release earlier this week.

The finalized rule requires self-insured coal companies to post collateral — through surety bonds or other forms — that is equal to 100% of their black lung benefit liabilities.

With the new rule, coal companies that merge or file for bankruptcy will not be able to buck their responsibility for paying out benefits. Roberts said coal companies often use the bankruptcy process to shift these expenses to taxpayers by transferring the responsibility to the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.

“That means taxpayers are now picking up the tab for coal companies that did not adequately protect their workers from dangerous levels of respirable coal dust,” Roberts said in his statement.

The trust fund exists to cover benefits for miners when no specific coal operator can be held responsible for their illness or when the operators fail to pay their share. Self-insured coal operators, however, are obligated to pay their own expenses.

Between 2014 and 2016, bankruptcies at just three coal companies resulted in an estimated $865 million in benefit payments being transferred to the taxpayer-funded trust, according to a 2020 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The new rule came partially in response to that report, Muckian-Bates said.

The finalized rule is especially timely as two of the country’s largest coal producers — Arch Resources and CONSOL Energy — are in the middle of a merger that, once complete, will create a new, $5 billion coal company based in Pennsylvania.

Those companies combined, Muckian-Bates said, report at least $300 million in black lung liability that — without the rule — could potentially be passed on to the trust fund.

Nationwide, Muckian-Bates said, it’s known that black lung benefit liabilities at self-insured coal companies total at least $615 million, but Milliman — a risk analysis consulting group — estimates that amount could actually be much higher, totaling between $9 billion and $14 billion.

Despite the high liability, Roberts said that only $119 million in security has been posted by self-insured coal companies to cover the costs of benefits.

If bankruptcies or mergers occur — which is likely given the ongoing decline in the coal market — the difference between what is posted and what is owed would be passed on to the trust fund, threatening its solvency and the access of benefits for coal miners who rely on it, Muckian-Bates said.

“This is a powerful rule to ensure that as the coal market becomes a bit more unstable — knowing that large companies have used these bankruptcies to shed their liabilities — this ensures that they can’t do that now,” Muckian-Bates said. “They can’t transfer that [liability] to a trust fund that’s … been a target sometimes of certain administrations.”

The rule is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 11.

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West Virginia

Man dies in southern W.Va. mining incident

Published

10 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Man dies in southern W.Va. mining incident

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A miner died Thursday after an incident at a coal mine in Wyoming County, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said.

The governor said it happened at the Lower War Eagle mine.

Morrisey released the following statement on Thursday evening:

“Denise and I were deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a coal miner today at the Lower War Eagle mine in Wyoming County. Our hearts go out to his family, loved ones, and coworkers during this sorrowful time.

“The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training responded immediately and is conducting a full investigation.

“Each day, West Virginia miners perform difficult and demanding tasks. They do this to provide for their families, to build the communities, and to forge a better future for the next generation of West Virginians. It is that work, their strength, and their dedication that defines our state and our nation.

“I ask that all West Virginians lift this miner’s family, friends, and community up in your prayers and keep them in your thoughts through the difficult days ahead.”

The victim’s name has not been released.

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West Virginia

Biggest Surprises and Disappointments from West Virginia’s 2025 Portal Class

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

The transfer portal officially opens here in a couple of weeks, so before the madness begins, we’re going to take a look back at last year’s West Virginia portal class, highlighting some of the biggest surprises and disappointments.

Biggest surprises

West Virginia University offensive lineman Donovan Haslam | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

For this group, we’re keeping it all positive. These are players who rose above expectations and turned out to be pretty solid players.

OL Donovan Haslam (Austin Peay) – He’s far from a finished product, but he helped West Virginia get through some of its issues toward the end of the season when he replaced Walter Young Bear in the starting lineup. WVU will bring in competition for him, but he’s at least a capable option, just needs more development. That play he had dragging Diore Hubbard for a first down may have been a penalty, but it may have been the most determination we saw from a lineman all year.

BAN Devin Grant (Incarnate Word) – The stats may not show his impact, and sometimes that happens with a role player. His playmaking was very timely. Every time the Mountaineers desperately needed a sack, tackle for loss, or turnover, Grant delivered. He’s someone the staff would love to have for another year.

LB Ben Bogle (Southern Illinois) – Although he didn’t start, Bogle was the Mountaineers’ best run defender in the second level, and it really wasn’t close. As a matter of fact, he graded out as the best run stopper on the entire team. He’ll be in contention to start at the MIKE spot in 2026.

Biggest disappointments

West Virginia University Bandit Jimmori Robinson | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

Before I get started here, I’m not including offensive linemen Walter Young Bear and Kimo Makane’ole, simply because they did not come to WVU with big expectations. Yes, they played poorly, but this category is for players who didn’t live up to expectations, in one way or another.

RB Tye Edwards (Northern Iowa) – Obviously, this isn’t a performance-based performance as Edwards injured his hip in the Backyard Brawl and was eventually lost for the season. Not having his physicality really hurt WVU’s offense and its ability to run the football. Had he been healthy, perhaps they could have won another game or two.

RB Jaylan Knighton (SMU) – Who? Yeah, Jaylan Knighton, the guy who never played a down for the Mountaineers. The SMU transfer was expected to be the No. 2 to Jahiem White, which would have formed a pretty strong duo, albeit behind a bad offensive line. He had some academic issues that led to his dismissal in fall camp.

BAN Jimmori Robinson (UTSA) – Without question, the biggest disappointment of all. Robinson was expected to be an elite pass rusher for WVU and an all-league caliber player. I wouldn’t throw all of the blame at his feet, though. Some of it can be attributed to the late start with the NCAA, taking forever with his eligibility, which ended up going to court. Some of it could be the fit in the defense as well. Regardless, Robinson fell well short of expectations, finishing with just 0.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss one year after recording 17 TFLs and 10.5 sacks at UTSA.

West Virginia

WV Lottery excited about Powerball drawing, sixth largest jackpot ever – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

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WV Lottery excited about Powerball drawing, sixth largest jackpot ever – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Lottery is one of the millions around the nation that will have their eye on tonight’s Powerball drawing.

The Powerball jackpot sits at $1.25 billion, an estimated cash value of $572.1 million. That marks the sixth largest jackpot in the game’s history, and it is just the second time where the game has seen back-to-back jackpots over a billion dollars.

The drawing will be at 10:59 p.m.

“It’s exciting for the lottery and it’s exciting for our players,” said West Virginia Lottery acting director David Bradley. “As excited as we are for our players and for the state and the revenue it generates, we always encourage our players to play responsible.”

Bradley says even if that billion-dollar ticket get hit elsewhere, there will be other big tickets to look out for tonight.

“We’re excited too about the other levels that win. People are excited when they win $5, $20, and $100, and we’re grateful for our players and our retailers and the people that support the lottery,” he said.

Bradley announced Tuesday morning during a lottery commission meeting that two other large tickets had been hit in the state in recent weeks.

A $500,000 ticket was purchased at Martinsburg Wal-Mart, and a $50,000 ticket was sold at the GoMart in Sophia.

In 2025 alone, four different million-dollar tickets were sold in the state. The most recent came a month ago from rural Hardy County at the Misty Valley Grocery in Mathias. Bradley said today that the ticket has not yet been claimed.

Earlier in the year, million-dollar tickets were sold at the Par Mar #17 in Hurricane and the Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro. Neither ticket was claimed.

“When you buy a ticket, make sure you sign the back of it. We encourage all of our players to be sure to check those tickets because you never know. We tell them to look in their car seats, under the car seats, in their book bags, in their purses, gym bags, and jackets.”

WV Lottery financial successes:

The lottery is coming off a strong month of November, where revenues totaled $109,626,000, which is about $14 million ahead of projections.

Total traditional sales for the fiscal year are up six percent — an increase of $31 million from fiscal year 2025. As of the end of November, the Lottery is nearly 13 percent ahead of revenue projections for the year.

So far this year, the Lottery has transferred nearly $300 million to the state for proceeds helping veterans and seniors, the state’s tourism department, the state School Building Authority, and the Promise Scholarship.

“At the Lottery, we do an awful lot of good and we’re important to the state budget. To do good for those programs out there, that’s what makes us happy. I want to make sure people know that when they play, it goes for a good cause.”

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