International Coal Group Operations Earn Two Environmental Awards From State of West Virginia
SCOTT DEPOT, W.Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- International Coal Group, Inc. (NYSE: ICO) today announced that its ICG Beckley subsidiary received West Virginia's highest honor for environmental excellence in coal mining.
The coveted Greenlands Award was presented to ICG Beckley's Beckley-Pocahontas underground mine complex in Raleigh County, West Virginia, for overall outstanding environmental stewardship in 2009 by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) at the 37th Annual West Virginia Coal Mining Symposium.
At an awards ceremony held today in Charleston, West Virginia, state officials praised the ICG Beckley mining operation for its many community and environmental projects in the Eccles, West Virginia area. Among the practices leading to the recognition, ICG Beckley has constructed and paved new roads and bridges, improved a local memorial cemetery, installed drainage control measures and pump systems to control rain runoff, voluntarily reclaimed an old abandoned coal refuse site, completed noise reduction projects and established a Community Advisory Panel to facilitate communications with local residents and community leaders.
"The Greenlands Award reflects the ongoing commitment by International Coal Group and our ICG Beckley employees to environmental stewardship and to being a good neighbor in the Eccles community," said Ben Hatfield, ICG's President and CEO. "We are proud that our employees have taken those values to heart and put them into action on the ground."
Additionally, the WVDEP once again honored ICG Eastern's Birch River surface mine in Webster County, West Virginia - this year with an award for its innovative handling and disposal of coal refuse. "ICG Eastern continues its tradition of award-winning practices in operating with a unique sensitivity to its environment," Hatfield noted. "Our employees there continue to raise the bar for other ICG subsidiaries and the industry as a whole in environmental compliance and land restoration methods."
ICG is a leading producer of coal in Northern and Central Appalachia and the Illinois Basin. The Company has 13 active mining complexes, of which 12 are located in Northern and Central Appalachia and one in Central Illinois. ICG's mining operations and reserves are strategically located to serve utility, metallurgical and industrial customers domestically and internationally.
SOURCE International Coal Group, Inc.
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