The West Virginia University Office of the Provost, through the WVU “Transformation Initiative”, has provided a Preliminary Recommendation directing the merger of the Department of Mining Engineering with the Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering. Iron Senergy opposes the substance and timing of this proposed merger and is concerned with the negative outcomes to the mining industry by not retaining the specific identity and existing faculty of the Department of Mining Engineering.
Iron Senergy and other mining companies are actively hiring mining engineers in multiple positions and roles with ever-growing needs for knowledgeable and experienced graduates, many of whom have come from WVU. Twenty (20) companies representing operators in aggregates, coal, cement, metal/non-metal, governmental agencies, as well as engineering and environmental consulting firms, are currently scheduled to recruit from the Department this Fall, which has historically resulted in 100% job placement for graduates and multiple competitive offers for high-paying, well-benefitted jobs. According to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, only fourteen (14) academic institutions in the United States offer accredited degrees in mining engineering, with only four (4) located East of the Mississippi River (a reduction from twenty-five (25) total programs in 1982). The mining industry recognizes WVU’s Department of Mining Engineering as instrumental in not only providing graduates for the industry’s workforce, but also in providing vital research and academic expertise utilized on a local, state, national and international level.
It is estimated that more than half of the current mining workforce in the United States will retire over the next decade, creating a widening gap the industry will need to overcome. Industry has been working with the Chair of WVU’s Department of Mining Engineering to increase student interest in mining engineering and has supported the Department through internships, facility tours, mentor programs, funding and research opportunities. The mining industry has also provided millions of dollars in endowments and scholarships to the Department over the years and stands ready to continue to financially support the Department as it exists today so long as it operates independently and in a manner that can promote its resources and benefits to the university, the mining industry and the economy.
Iron Senergy is sending a letter to Governor Justice and calls on him and other political leaders to advise President Gee and the WVU Board of Governors to oppose any changes to WVU’s Department of Mining Engineering and to immediately engage with industry representatives. Iron Senergy stands ready to meet with WVU and support the Department financially under the right circumstances. We are confident that other members of the mining industry will do the same. However, all attempts by the Chair and industry leaders to engage with WVU on this issue have been immediately denied. Only input from West Virginia’s leaders will make a difference
About Iron Senergy:
Founded in 2020, Iron Senergy is a veteran-owned and operated independent energy company committed to the highest operational standards in the production of coal and energy. With offices in Waynesburg, PA and Louisville, KY, our company is built on a foundation of safety, quality, technology, innovation and integrity. Our longwall mining operation located at the Cumberland Coal Mine in Pennsylvania is anchored by a team of some of the hardest working miners in the industry. Our team has extensive experience operating in the coal and energy industry with our leadership having over 100 years of combined experience.
Contacts:
Katarina Gump, PE
Chief Engineer of Surface Operations
kgump@ironsenergy.com
Heidi Jamison
Executive Assistant and Community Coordinator
hjamison@ironsenergy.com
Iron Senergy was proud to announce the donation of a 16,000-square-foot building and 47 acres of surrounding property to the Greene County Career & Technology Center. The facility and acreage will help the school offer training opportunities for students at the Franklin Township, PA, just east of Waynesburg.
Here’s more, from the Observer-Reporter:
“The donation of this facility is a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity for students in Greene County,” GCCTC Director Mark Krupa said. “Given the current economic status in Greene County, it would be nearly impossible to purchase or build a similar facility. The opportunities that we will be able to offer students would not be possible without this donation.”
“Without this donation, this is something that would be nearly impossible to do in Greene County. This is the biggest thing to happen since they built the CTC,” Krupa said.
Read more here at the Observer-Reporter.
Iron Senergy was proud to make the donation, and are excited to help provide more learning opportunities for students in the area. See more here about how Iron Senergy is involved with the community and the Iron Impact program.
ST. LOUIS, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Intramotev, a pioneering technology company focused on developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions, has finalized an agreement with Iron Senergy to provide three (3) ReVolt railcars for its 17-mile private rail line that transports coal produced by its Cumberland Coal Mine to its Alicia Harbor Facility located on the Monongahela River in Western Pennsylvania. This will be the world’s first deployment of self-propelled battery-electric railcars in a traditional freight train, using regenerative braking and battery technology to reduce diesel consumption from locomotives, resulting in lower costs for rail operators and reducing emissions impact from rail operations.
Intramotev is developing and deploying a suite of products to address the primary element behind the lack of growth in the rail industry, shipment certainty, while further building upon rail’s strengths in safety and sustainability. They include TugVolt, a proprietary kit that can retrofit/upfit existing railcars to become battery-electric, move independently like a truck, and decouple to service first- and last-mile legs; ReVolt, capturing waste energy in traditional trains via regenerative braking; and automated safety systems including gates and hatches.
Every day, freight trucks navigate choked highways across the nation, producing an estimated 433 million tons of carbon emissions annually, while close to a million freight railcars sit idle in switching yards, awaiting locomotives to bring them to their destination. Intramotev is poised to help meet the Federal Railroad Administration’s Climate Challenge, a commitment to partner with owners and operators in the U.S. rail network, and manufacturers of rail equipment, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. While reducing railway emissions as well as relieving congested and polluted roadways, Intramotev’s technology offers reduced operational costs and the highest level of safety, with stopping distances at a fraction of traditional heavier trains, among other benefits.
“Captive routes between mines and processing facilities have the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and save costs through our proprietary battery-electric technology,” said Intramotev CEO Timothy Luchini, PhD. “Using our technology will help Iron Senergy become a cleaner, healthier operation in western Pennsylvania. We hope their success will inspire other rail managers’ decarbonization efforts across mining and steel mill transportation.”
“We are honored to partner with Intramotev and help pioneer the deployment of this technology,” said Iron Senergy CEO and owner Justin Thompson. “This investment is consistent with our commitment to innovation and the environment, and I look forward to exploring additional opportunities with the Intramotev team that will allow us to further increase efficiencies, lower costs and reduce our environmental footprint.”
Founded in 2020, Iron Senergy is a veteran-owned company based in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania that manages critical assets in the southwest corner of the Commonwealth, including the Cumberland Coal Mine, the former Emerald Coal Mine (being reclaimed and repurposed as the “Keystone State Clean Energy Park”), and approximately 15,000 acres of surface land. Iron Senergy employs over 750 individuals, including approximately 575 miners represented by Local 2300 of the United Mine Workers of America, making it one of the largest employers in Greene County, Pennsylvania and the last union coal operator in the Commonwealth. While the Cumberland and Emerald Mine properties have been in operation for several decades under numerous ownership groups, they are now serving as the foundation for a new platform – one focused on operating as a responsible energy company and serving as a blueprint for strategic reclamation and synergistic diversification within the U.S. coal industry.
Intramotev is a high-technology company focused on transforming modern freight movement by developing autonomous, zero-emission rail solutions that decrease costs, increase usage and safety, and promote environmental responsibility. Founded in 2020 in Saint Louis, Missouri, the company’s products include TugVolt, ReVolt, and automated safety systems including gates and hatches. Intramotev: Rail, Reborn & Ready To Roll. Visit www.intramotev.com.
Media contacts:
Alex Peiffer
Intramotev
314-806-3035
360173@email4pr.com
SOURCE Intramotev
