September 03, 2013

Manchin staffers tour Cliffs’ Pinnacle Mine | Logan Banner

Pineville — Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) announced today that it recently hosted a tour of its Pinnacle Mine for members of Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) staff. Pinnacle Mining Company, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. that produces metallurgical coal used in the steel making process. It is located in Wyoming County, WV.

Sen. Manchin’s chief of staff, Hayden Rogers and regional coordinator, Michael Browning, took part in the three-hour underground tour.

“I truly enjoyed touring Cliffs’ Pinnacle Mine and seeing first-hand the remarkable work that our miners do every day,” Hayden Rogers, Senator Joe Manchin’s chief of staff said. “From the management to the miners to the staff, Cliffs employees are top notch, professional, dedicated and hardworking. I appreciate the opportunity to speak with them directly and to learn about their impressive operations.”

Cliffs’ acquired the Pinnacle Complex, which employees more than 550 and produces nearly 2.5 million tons of coal annually, in 2007. It has an economic impact in West Virginia of more than $200 million. The Pinnacle Mine utilizes a highly efficient and unique plow longwall system.

“We are proud of our employees and their accomplishments at the Pinnacle Complex and were happy to provide Hayden and Mike with a glimpse of how some of the best coal miners in the world work safely and productively.” said Pinnacle Mine General Manager, Jon Lester. “We also appreciate Sen. Manchin encouraging his staff to tour the mine and the opportunity to give them insight on some of the challenges facing the coal industry.”

Lester noted that the Pinnacle Prep Plant received a Joseph A. Holmes Safety award in May 2013 in recognition of its employees working 182,000 hours without either a lost time or recordable accident. In addition, the Pinnacle Mine’s longwall plow set a world record for producing 32,430 tons of coal in a 24-hour period in August of 2012.

In addition to the Pinnacle Complex, Cliffs operates the Cliffs Logan County Coal mines in Logan County, WV and the Oak Grove Resources mine in Jefferson County, Alabama. The North American Coal division of Cliffs provides employment for over 1,500 individuals with a combined economic impact of $500 million.
 


By:  Debbie Rolen