Wise, VA – SunCoke Energy’s Black Mine Rescue team took top honors in the twenty-ninth annual Governor’s Cup Mine Rescue and Safety Contest Thursday, May 22, 2014. The competition was held on the campus of University of Virginia’s College at Wise for the first time. The rescue and safety contests were co-hosted by the Virginia Coal & Energy Alliance (VCEA), Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
The teams competed to conduct rescue and recovery operations in a staged mine disaster scenario laid out on the university’s football field. Team members donned full mine rescue gear, including oxygen breathing apparatus, to determine underground mine conditions, construct ventilation controls and locate and extract accident “victims”.
The teams were judged on their thoroughness in recording mine conditions on a map as they advanced into the “mine” and their ability to identify and respond to hazards that could endanger the team or trapped miners.
DMME Deputy Director Butch Lambert presented trophies to the winning individuals and teams. VCEA’s Director, John Belcher had this to say about the competition, “Mine rescue contests present an excellent opportunity for rescue teams to practice their skills in a competitive environment and be prepared for any situation. The people are most important in coal mining. This is one more way to ensure these miners are the best they can be and go home every evening to their families.”
- Governor’s Cup/ 1st Place Team: SunCoke Energy Black Team
- 2nd Place Team: Maxxim Shared Services-Grey Team
- 3rd Place Team: Alpha Natural Resources- Southern KY Team
- Combination 1st Place Team- Alpha Natural Resources-Southern KY Team
- Combination 2nd Place Team- Maxxim Shared Services-Blue Team
- Bench 1st Place: BG4- Tyler Richardson, CONSOL Buchanan Black Team
- Bench 1st Place: 240R- Caleb Schoef, Wellmore Coal Company- Grey Team
- Anemometer: Keith Richardson & B.J. Johnson, CONSOL Buchanan Red Team
- Pre-Shift: Matt King, Maxxim Shared Services- Blue Team
- First Aid: Lone Mountain Processing, Lone Mountain Team
Governor’s Cup Teams: Lone Mountain Processing Lone Mountain Team, Alpha Natural Resources Southern Kentucky Team, CONSOL Buchanan Red Team, CONSOL Buchanan White Team, CONSOL Buchanan Black Team, Teco Coal Blue Team, SunCoke Energy Grey Team, SunCoke Energy Black Team, Virginia Small Operators Mine Rescue Gold & Silver Teams, Mine Rescue Services Southeast Kentucky Mine Rescue Team.
Sponsors: SunCoke Energy- Jewell Mining, Lee Supple Co., Inc., Lone Mountain Processing, Kennametal, EMI, Dominion, Alpha Natural Resources, United Central Industrial Supply, CONSOL Energy, National Mine Rescue Association-Post 7, Strata Worldwide, Buchanan Pump Service & Supply Company, Inc., Pyott-Boone Electronics, Patriot Mining, Regent Allied Carbon Energy, Inc. (RACE Coal), West River Conveyors & Machinery Co., Victaulic, Nexans/AmerCable, Food City, UVA-Wise and Wise County, Virginia.