Baisden discusses mining careers

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There are plenty of high tech careers available in the mining industry and they are not going away anytime soon.

With coal prices continuing to go up and competition to fill orders for power plants across the world, West Virginia Coal is more valuable than ever and it has led to a renaissance in the mining industry in Southern West Virginia.

"We can't believe the prices we are seeing, one place it hit $242 a ton and they have a three year contract," said Carl Baisden. "It is our turn and it is our time to get something good. We have 200 years of minable coal and we have a long term future with it, depending on the political situation."

That was the message Baisden, who is the director of the Southern West Virginia Community Technical College Academy for Mine Training and Energy Technology had for members of the Rotary Club of Logan this week, when he was one of several guest speakers.

Baisden said there is currently a shortage of trained and educated miners to deal with the advanced computer technology that is common place in mining today.

Baisden said that if the coal industry can abandon the intercompany competitiveness of the past and work together to keep coal prices up, "I hope to see us sitting across the table with OPEC in the form of CoaLPEC."

Politicians and environmentalists with agendas could come in the way of sensible energy programs, Baisden admitted, noting that the mainstream media is now getting around to realizing that bio fuel has not been the panacea many thought and promised it would be. Baisden said coal can be mined ethically and in environmentally sound ways thanks to modern technology, which has seen dramatic reductions in pollution related problems of the past.

Baisden noted that coal is in demand now, in a modern age where some third world countries he has visited only have electricity about 12 hours a day, and that the mining academy is producing new miners to replace those lost when young people left the coalfields in the 90s.
"We put 2,200 students through the academy a year," Baisden said. "I would like to see more women come into mining like we had in the 70s and 80s. We can't just depend on men alone, we need to bring new people into mining."

Baisden said many high tech machines are sitting idle because there are not enough trained people to operate them and that there is more to mining careers than just being a coal miner.

Mining is very important because it is a part of our national energy system and "our national security depends on reliable energy."

Baisden said the Coal Education Development and Resources (CEDAR) program came about as a way to interest young people in careers in the mining industry by firing their imaginations through emphasizing math and science projects aspects of mining.

"Some kids think electricity comes from the light switch," he explained of the energy industry. "Many parents just don't have the time for their kids any more, so Debbie Mudd and Georgene Robinson work with CEDAR which operates coal fairs for kids."

The coal fairs are similar to traditional science fairs and some students have been able to compete in both venues through single projects revolving around mining and technology.

Robinson said CEDAR began in Kentucky in 1991 then moved to West Virginia. It is a 501c program that survives thanks to contributions from sponsors and help from volunteers.

"We provide grants for teachers and resources for students to learn about math and science related to mining," she said. "We educate students, their parents and the community."

Debbie Mudd said CEDAR and SWIVIC currently work together to provide 10 scholarships through a partnership and that coordinators keep schools involved through coal fairs like the one coming up in Matewan this week.

"The (state) Coal Fair is a huge deal, we have it open six days a week and have judges who come in from other states," Mudd said. "It has really caught on with kids and their families."

Baisden noted that mining related byproducts are used in about 300 items people use in their day to day lives like cell phones, lipstick, computers and water filters.

"We take that for granted," he said. "Even fluorescent light bulbs utilize coal by-products."

Baisden said during World War II, the German military machine ran its equipment on liquefied coal products and that even though coal could not handle all the country's energy needs by itself, it was still an extremely important part of it.