What is the pay of a typical West Virginia coal miner?

$55,000 a year
West Virginia coal miners earn an average of $55,000 a year, according to the state Coal Association. And the industry provides $3.5 billion to the gross state product of nearly $30 billion.

How many coal miners are there in WV?

The coal industry employed fewer than 15,000 people in West Virginia in 2019, with roughly 10,600 of those jobs belonging to underground miners. That’s down from nearly 23,000 jobs — more than 17,000 underground — in 2012.

How many coal mines are still open in West Virginia?

In West Virginia 99% of the generated electricity comes from coal. There are currently 14 coal fired electric generating facilities located in West Virginia.

How many coal miners have died in WV?

21,000 miners
Since 1883, when fatality records began to be kept, more than 21,000 miners have lost their lives in West Virginia coal mines. Most of these deaths were single fatalities, many of which were not investigated in the early years.

What is the life expectancy of a coal miner?

The average life expectancy in the coal mines for those starting work at 15 y was found to be 58.91 y and 49.23 y for surface and underground workers respectively.

Do coal miners make good money?

Average pay for a miner under a United Mine Workers of America contract comes out to at least $61,650 a year, and closer to $85,000 a year with overtime, said Phil Smith, a spokesman for the union. Instead, many coal miners now compete for temporary jobs, which pay by the hour and offer few benefits.

How many hours do coal miners work a day?

Down in a coal mine, there’s no such thing as a “nine to five.” Miners usually work shifts, and they can be on for 10 days in a row. Some head down before sunrise and return anywhere from seven to 12 hours later.

What percent of West Virginians are coal miners?

West Virginia ranked fifth among the states in total energy production in 2018, accounting for 5% of the nation’s total. In 2019, West Virginia was the second-largest coal producer in the nation, after Wyoming, and accounted for 13% of U.S. total coal production.

When was the last coal mine collapse?

April 5, 2010
The coal dust explosion occurred at 3:27 pm. The accident was the worst in the United States since 1970, when 38 miners were killed at Finley Coal Company’s No….Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.

Is the Sago mine still open?

The Sago Mine, where 12 miners died in West Virginia’s worst coal mining accident in four decades, will be closed permanently early next year, its owner said Friday.

Do coal miners still get black lung?

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), commonly known as “black lung disease,” occurs when coal dust is inhaled. Over time, continued exposure to the coal dust causes scarring in the lungs, impairing your ability to breathe. Considered an occupational lung disease, it is most common among coal miners.

What percentage of coal miners get black lung?

(Reuters) – More than 10 percent of America’s coal miners with 25 or more years of experience have black lung disease, the highest rate recorded in roughly two decades, according to a government study released on Thursday that showed cases concentrated heavily in central Appalachia.

Where are the coal mines in West Virginia?

Located in Charleston, W.Va., the West Virginia Coal Association is a trade association representing more than 90 percent of the state’s underground and surface coal mine production.

Is there coal mining in West Virginia?

There are 117 named coal seams in West Virginia, sixty-five seams are considered minable and fifty-four are producing coal today, with coal mined in 26 counties. The Pittsburgh coal seam alone accounted for nearly 33 million tons of production in 2008.

Where is coal in West Virginia?

Coal is an unincorporated community and coal town in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States, along Cabin Creek . It was also known as Cofoco .

Where are coal mines located?

Coal is mined in the Appalachian Mountains region, and the Midwest. Most coal now produced in the United States is mined in western surface mines, especially in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin . A surface mining method often used in the Appalachians is mountaintop removal mining.