November 11, 2004

West Virginia ‘open for business,’ coal leaders say

Industry welcomes Bush victory, McGraw defeat

By Ken Ward Jr.
Staff writer

The re-election of President Bush and the defeat of state Supreme Court Justice Warren McGraw signal good times ahead for coal operators, industry officials said Wednesday.

“Nov. 2 was a great day for the state of West Virginia,” said Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

Speaking to a conference on national coal issues, Raney praised the “no-nonsense leadership of Don Blankenship” in defeating McGraw.

Blankenship, president of Massey Energy, has said he spent $3.5 million on his campaign to help Republican Brent Benjamin unseat McGraw for a 12-year term on the court.

Because Blankenship donated to third-party efforts to oust McGraw — and spent money directly — he could avoid any limits on his election spending.

“It was a sea change from traditional West Virginia politics,” Raney said of victories by Bush and Benjamin.

“Nov. 2 was a major change in the political landscape of West Virginia,” Raney said. “We feel like we’re truly open for business in West Virginia.”

Blankenship, who also spoke at the West Virginia University-sponsored seminar, said he would not apologize for his financial efforts on Benjamin’s behalf.

The Mingo County resident repeated the business community’s complaints that plaintiffs’ lawyers are costing the state jobs and increasing insurance rates for all West Virginians.

“I’m proud of the fact that I spent $3.5 million to change the insurance costs for West Virginians,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship showed computer slides of Massey’s annual picnic and of the company’s effort to give out two Christmas presents to less-fortunate children in the coalfields.

“As you can see from the faces, there is more to this than low-cost energy,” Blankenship said of Massey’s community service work. “Some of these kids are probably getting Christmas presents for the first time.”

Blankenship said 100,000 of the 400,000 children in West Virginia are living in poverty, and that a strong coal industry is the solution to their problems.

“The 100,000 kids who live in poverty in West Virginia would not live in poverty if there were not so many obstacles to coal production,” Blankenship said.

Among labor leaders, environmentalists and regulators, Massey is known for opposing unions, violating pollution rules and unsafe work practices.

But at Wednesday’s WVU conference, industry and government officials praised Blankenship and his company.

Richard Lawson, former president of the National Mining Association, said Massey was a prime example of a good coal company.

“At the very top of the group in this country is Don’s group,” Lawson said. “I can’t tell you how good they are.”

Rita Bajura, who runs the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Lab in Morgantown, commented that Blankenship’s operations “have an excellent safety record.”

Wednesday’s event at the Charleston Marriott was part of a series of “Energy Roadmap” workshops scheduled by WVU’s National Research Center for Coal and Energy.

Before Wednesday’s meeting, a group of coalfield residents gathered across the street from the Marriott to protest Blankenship.

Inside the meeting, Cindy Rank of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy wondered why WVU officials did not include a discussion of mining’s environmental damage on the program.

“People have real grievances,” Rank said. “They are losing their homes and losing the value of their property.

“I wonder if there is not a place for more discussion of those impacts, to develop a more balanced discussion,” Rank said.

To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702.