Search Documents

A symposium concerning "The Image of the Coal Industry" was presented at 2:00 p.m. in the Conference center and chaired by Charles W. Margolf, RMCMl Program Chairman and Vice President, Western Coal Development, W. R. Grace & Co. MR. McKEEVER: I'd like to do one thing and that's to introduce our Program Chairman, Charlie Margolf, who will be handling this portion of the program. Charlie and I have been acquainted since late 1973. He has worked together with me on several projects at W. R. Grace here in the west; a dear friend and one that I just want to say thanks to again. I think I have a little token of that appreciation here for Charlie. Here you are Charlie. (present given) I turn the command over to you. Mr. Margolf, a native of State College, Pennsylvania, received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1950 and a Juris Doctor Degree from University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1953. His professional experience has beem as an attorney in the Law Department of Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Virginia, where he served as legal counsel to the Geological Department the mining subsidiaries of the parent company both foreign and domestic, the Power Department and the Oil and Gas Division. He was closely associated with Reynolds Mining Corporation's project at Lake DeSmet, Wyoming, from its inception in 1954 and became Manager of the Wyoming Division of Reynolds Mining Corporation when it was established in 1966, holding that position until September 1972 when he joined Cameron Engineers, Inc. of Denver, Colorado as Vice President in charge of its coal, water and environmental activities. Mr. Margolf joined W. R. Grace & Co. in January 1974 as Director of Western Coal Operations. Memberships are held in the Virginia Bar Association, the Wyoming Bar Association, the American Bar Association and its Section of Natural Resources Law, the Wyoming Engineering Society, the Colorado Mining Association, the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute which he has served as vice president for Wyoming, the Society of Mining Engineers of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, the Minerals Information Committee of the Denver Chapter of AIME and the Denver Coal Club which he has served as Chairman of its Board of Directors. He has also been a member of the Montana Coal Council and served as a director, the Wyoming Water Development Association which he has served as a director for industry and as first vice president and the Wyoming Mining Association. He has been reappointed by Governor Lamm to the Governor's Scientific Advisory Council. He was appointed by the Federal Power Commission, Gas Policy Advisory Council, to its Supply- Technical Advisory Task Force - Synthesized Gaseous Hydrocarbon Fuels and served as Vice Chairman of that Task Force. He has been reappointed by the Secretary of the Interior to the Solid Fuels Unit, Department of the Interior, National Defense Executive Reserve. He also serves on the Advisory Council to the Industrial Ecology Institute of the Colorado School of Mines and was recently elected a member of the Board of Directors of ROMCOE (Center for Environmental Problem Solving). Chairman Margolf presented the symposium from the perspective of: ? A local government official - The Honorable Michael Enzi, Mayor of Gillette, Wyoming ? A former state government official - Harris D. Sherman, former Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources ? A representative of a national environmental. organization- Robert Golten, Senior Counsel, National Wildlife Federation ? A representative of the printed news media- Ralph Looney, Editor of The Rocky Mountain News in Denver

Jan 1, 1982

At the meeting of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, G. S. Rice, Chief Mining Engineer of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, announced the definition of a gassy mine. This definition has been awaited with much interest, especially by the Safety Committee of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute. It applies to the whole area of all mines, any part of which is on the public domain of the United States. Consequently it will be of wide application in the western part of this country. The safety committee of the R. M. C. M. I. has been hopeful that the Institute would adopt this definition without exception as the codes of rules to be recommended at all mines in the Rocky Mountain area. The statement follows: "The U. S. Bureau of Mines believes that all coal mines are potentially gassy; but for purposes of administration in respect to prevention of explosions and fires, the Bureau recommends the following classification: "Class 1 coal mine-A practically non-gassy mine in which flammable gas in excess of 0.05 per cent cannot be found by systematic search. "Class 2. coal mine-A slightly gassy mine in which (a) flammable gas has been found, ? but in quantity less than two per cent in still air in any active or unsealed-abandoned workings; or (b) flammable gas can be found, but in quantity less than four per cent, in some place from which the ventilating current has been shut off for a period of one hour; or (c) flammable gas can be found,* but in quantity less than one-fourth per cent in a split** of the ventilating current; or (d) flamamble gas is found in quantity greater than' specified rate*** of not more than 25 cu. ft. per minute. "Class 3 coal mine- A gassy mine in which flammable gas is found in quantity greater than specified for a Class 22 coal mine. GENERAL NOTES REGARDING DECISION NO. 3 "(A) Flammable gas found in coal mines is, with rare exceptions, methane. In coal-mining fields where natural gas is found in lower geologic horizons by deep wells which pass through or nearby the coal mines, there have been rare instances of la leakage from the well. Natural gas is chiefly methane; that constituent almost always forms more than 85 per cent of the whole, but it usually contains ethane, propane and traces of butane also. Therefore if the latter gases are found in mine air it is an indication of leakage. The lower limit of explosibility of methane-air mixture when there is turbulence of five per cent and of natural-gas-air mixtures with about ten per cent ethane and associated hydro-carbon gases is 4.6 per cent. The limit therefore varies with the character of the mixture. " (B) To determine the proper classification of a coal mine, it is advisable that systematic testing and sampling be done at least three times in a period of not less than 72 hours. All tests and samples of the mine air, except one, must show an inflammable-gas content less than the maximum limit of the class to which the mine is assigned. In other words, a tolerance of one test or analysis may be permitted to provide for a mistake or a very exceptional occurrence. "(C) When a new mine is being opened in a coal field where existing mines are generally gassy, it is common sense to assume that similar conditions will be found in the new mine, and its development and equipment should be based upon the expectation that it will be assigned to Class 3."

Jan 1, 1926

By N/A NA

Jan 1, 1967

The Saturday morning session of the Forty-seventh Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute was called to order at 9:30 o'clock a. m., June 9, 1951, in the Junior Ballroom of the Hotel Utah, Salt Lake City; Utah, with Mr. A. P. Cederlof presiding. CHAIRMAN CEDERLOF: Mr. Whiteside suggests that we have the Treasurer's Report. Would you like to read this report,: Mr. Reese? MR. GOMER REESE, SR.: Gentlemen, we have here the Auditor's report. A. B. Foulger, President The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute Dear Mr. Foulger: Following is the report of the Treasurer from May 31, 1950 to May 31, 1951: [ ]

Jan 1, 1951

Jan 1, 2005

[ ]

Jan 1, 1989

By J. A. Bullington

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: Some of you men may know who are familiar with what we have been doing in the C. F. & I. the last three years, that we have revamped our entire method of cost accounting from the pit bosses' report through to the final report of the president. The basic ideas involved in our cost system are not ours. They were given us by one of the best management and industrial engineering concerns in the country-at least they have that reputation. All I can do now is to try to pass on to you some of the ideas we have from various sources and the methods we have used in teaching those ideas to our coal men on cost accounting. This will not be a technical paper. I tried to put it in language we could all understand, and I hope I will be talking the same language that you gentlemen talk when you think about the cost of your coal in your own mines. Accounting of all kinds is classed as overhead expense, and as overhead expense we must justify its cost by the service it gives the rest of the organization. That brings us up to the problem of making the cost department pay its own way, just the same as the power plant has to pay its own way, and we have gotten away from the old idea of cost accounting in that it is sufficient within itself. The cost sheets are only so good as they enable the operating man to reduce his costs. The cost sheets are only just so much work for the cost department, and if they do not help the operating man to control his costs, we figure that is so much work wasted. The cost department works for the operating department.

Jan 1, 1931

By William M. Wallace

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: The subject, "Shake It for Results," may or may not suggest just what is to be shaken, or just what results are to be obtained. I can assure you that if you are thinking about anything outside the realm of pure mining application you have come to the wrong meeting, and if this be the case, you have come to hear a subject discussed that I am not prepared to undertake-at the moment, at least. At the very beginning of time, results were definitely obtained by shaking. If you will recall, Eve shook a certain tree of forbidden fruit-need I recount to you the results that were, and are still, being credited to that bit of engineering? To get closer to the subject at hand, it is the intent of this paper to touch generally on the shaking, principally the vibratory shaking, of materials on a piece, or pieces, of perforated metal or screen cloth. Through the evolution of such a motion we find that great strides have been made toward a highly efficient "operation which is an essential factor in the mining world of today. The object of the shaking motion is to more efficiently separate one size material from another, according to the openings in the screening medium over which it is passed. Sizing is an important operation in every ore dressing, coal prepara¬tion or other mineral-preparing plant for reducing the product to a form more concentrated or more convenient for utilization than that in which it was mined. In coal preparation, market requirements, convenience, custom, and efficiency in combustion necessitate grading mined coal by sizes. All ore-dressing or coal preparation plants therefore must have what is called screening, sizing, or grading apparatus.

Jan 1, 1941

The morning session opened at 9:00 a.m. and was presided over by Harold Levent., Manager Coal Activities, Cameron Engineers, Denver, Colorado. The first speaker was Dr. Joseph J. Yancik, Assistant Director-Mining, Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington. D.C. Subject-"Coal Mining R&D Programs of the Bureau of Mines." (See index for printed text of Dr. Yancik's paper.) Joseph J. Yancik is Assistant Director - Mining for the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for the Bureau's research programs in mining. Principal programs are the coal and metal mining health and safety research, mining extraction and excavation, tunnelling, explosives, mined land reclamation, mine fires and mine waste disposal. He administers these programs through four research centers and through outside contracts and grants.

Jan 1, 1974

The 81 st Regular Meeting and convention was called to order by the President, Charles W. Margolf at 9:00 a.m. Monday, July l, 1985 in the Silverton Room of Tamarron, a resort hotel near Durango, Colorado. President Margolf welcomed the members and others in attendance to the convention and noted his theme of "Make It Happen!" He introduced those present of the 1985-86 Board of Directors and Officers who were elected by the Board of Directors at their Annual Meeting June 29. They were: Arthur K. Neill, President; Bernard Bernstrom, President-Elect; Loren V. Linville, Convention Liaison Officer; Vice Presidents Douglas J. Hammer of Colorado, C. Joe Presley of Montana, Alva L. Smith of New Mexico, Fred Wertz of North Dakota, Rex Berry of Utah and Thomas J. Lien of Wyoming; and Doris G. Finnie, Executive Secretary & Treasurer. He also introduced Ira. E. McKeever who was elected to serve as chairman of the Advisory Board by that group. Margolf mentioned that one three-year term as a Director would be voted upon at the annual business meeting which would be held Tuesday, July 2 at 1:30 p.m. in the Windom Peak Room and introduced James "Doug" Ingram, the nominee of the Nominating Committee. A convention update was made by the Conven-

Jan 1, 1985

The Morning Session of the Forty-Eighth Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute convened in the Little Theater of the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 10:00.a. m.; June 2, 1952, Howard B. Crandell, President, presiding. PRESIDENT CRANDELL: Gentlemen, the meeting will come to order. I presume most: of you have heard the decision of the Supreme Court in the steel case. The decision was six to three that the President had no legal authority to seize the steel industry, and it is reported that the strike is already under way. Gentlemen, it is both a pleasure and an honor to talk to you who come to the meeting of the Coal Mining Institute, many of you, from long distances. Our program committee has suggested that the president give a 30-minute talk, but you may be at case because I assure you I won't take anywhere near that long, when we will pass to more instructive and enlightening subjects. Another reason for the short talk that I am going to make is that many men in this audience know more about coal mining, specialized subjects, than I do.

Jan 1, 1952

Jan 1, 1961

Jan 1, 1989

Pictured on these pages are the six RMCMI Scholarship Award Winners for the 1986-87 year followed by a brief profile. Five of the winners were present as RMCMI guests at the June convention at Kalispell to receive their recognition plaques at the welcoming session held Monday, June 30, 1986. In addition to the plaques, each winner will receive $500.00 to be used toward tuition in the coming academic year. Also, as this is a continuing award, the winners from the 1985-86 season, will also receive an additional $500.00 for tuition use in their senior years provided they have maintained a good academic standing. Criteria for these awards is (1) That the award be made in the spring to a sophomore student to be used toward tuition during the junior year. (2) That the recipient be both a U. S. citizen and a resident of the state involved. (3) That the recipient have good academic standing, be pursuing a degree in a mining related field and have an expressed interest in Western coal as a possible career path. Contributions to this worthy project are tax deductible to each individual RMCMI member. Checks payable to RMCMI Scholarship may be mailed to the RMCMI Office at 2700 Youngfield Street, Suite 100 in Lakewood, CO 80215. Profiles of the 1986 winners follow: [ ] ROBERT BAUGHMAN Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado Bob is spending this summer in field camp at the Colorado School of Mines. His hobbies are fly fishing, hunting and photography. After graduation, he "would like to work for a stable mid-sized company and someday work his way into a management position." He is a member of AIME and Sigma Phi Epsilon and plays intramural football and softball. [ ] BRENT LaMOURE Montana College of Mineral Science & Technology, Butte, Montana Brent has a 3 5 grade point average and has completed courses In Mining Engineering, Underground Mining, Rock Fragmentation, Mineralogy and Petrology and Plane Surveying He is "interested in trying to make the mining industry as efficient as possible "

Jan 1, 1986

[Adams, Frank E U.S. Steel Corp., 919 Kearns Bldg., Salt Lake City, Utah Alger, Van Kaiser Steel, Sunnyside, Utah Allan, Andrew Thompson Creek Coal &Coke Corp., Glenwood Springs, Colo. Allen, Earl W Mine Safety Appliances Co., 257 Rio Grand St., Salt Lake City, Utah Allen, Thomas Chief Coal Mine Inspector, Colorado, Argonaut Hotel, Denver 2, Colo. Anderson, Merlynn D U.S. Fuel, P.O. Box 5022, Dragerton, Utah Anderson, Nephi W Book Cliffs Coal Co., Dragerton, Utah Ankeny, Marling J Bureau of Mines, 5308 Roosevelt St., Bethesda, Md. Arentzen, E. M Lee-Norse Co., Charleroi, Pa. Arentzen, L. E Lee-Norse Co., 2975 18th St., Boulder, Colo.]

Jan 1, 1959

The 67th Regular Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute convened in the C'est Bon Hotel, Park City, Utah, and was in session at 10:00 a.m. The meeting was called to order by Past President John A. Reeves, Vice President, Mid-Continent Coal & Coke Company, Carbondale, Colorado. Mr. Reeves introduced President Max A. Robb and read a brief biography as follows: A Westerner by birth, he has chosen to pursue his mining career with United States Fuel Company, a subsidiary of United States Smelting, Refining and Mining Company. United States Fuel Company is the largest underground producer of commercial and utility coal in the Intermountain West. Max attended Utah schools and has kept his education current through correspondence courses in mining technology and business education, and through attendance at various university-sponsored development seminars.

Jan 1, 1971

By Jessica Smith

Jan 1, 2009

By C. A. Herbert

We all deplore the high accident rate of our coal mines, but when brought to task we immediately attempt to appease our conscience by calling attention to the high tonnage rate per fatality in American coal mines as compared to European mines, losing sight of the fact that the accident rate per hours of exposure has shown no improvement during the past twenty years. Measuring our accidents in terms of hours of exposure, not in terms of production, is the only correct method. Certainly it can be of only scant satisfaction to the miner to know that his chances of getting killed this year are as great, or perhaps greater, than last year, but the tonnage rate per fatality will have gone up. We cannot help asking ourselves why it is the other major industries, almost without exception, have made wonderful strides toward reducing accidents, while coal mining stands alone as the one major industry in which no improvement has been made. It certainly cannot be charged entirely to the increased use of machinery and the increased productivity per man employed, as the other industries likewise, or to an even greater extent, have increased the use of machinery and the production per man.

Jan 1, 1931

President elect Ralph Moore opened the business meeting at 9:30 a.m., he called on the Auditing Committee to present its report on the financial statement of the treasurer. Gabe Ishley read the report and asked for its approval. A motion was made, seconded and carried. The Resolutions Committee was called upon to make its report. William A. Bear submitted the following: (1) WHEREAS, the 72nd Regular Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute celebrates sixty-four years of most successful service to the coal industry, and WHEREAS, this success is largely due to the faithful and devoted service of our Secretary-Treasurer, Augusta Whiteside, during the last fifty years of its existence, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we commend and express our sincere thanks to "Gussie" for her outstanding devotion in per- forming a job well done. (2) RESOLVED: WHEREAS, in the year since the last convention of the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, the Institute and the coal mining industry have suffered the loss through death of the services of:

Jan 1, 1976

By D. Harrington

Discussion was prepared by A. L. Jones and Frank A. Rank, of the General Electric Company, read by Mr. Jones; by C. B. Officer, of the Sullivan Machinery Company, read by Mr. J. H. Emrick; by Mr. D. C. McKeehan, Chief Electrician of the Union Pacific Coal Company; and by Mr. L. C. Ilsley, of the United States Bureau of Mines, read by Mr. K. P. Marshall. Their prepared answers are inserted in the body of Mr. Harrington's paper, as answers to his questions. Introductory Remarks PRESIDENT MARKS: We have made special assignments for the discussion of this paper, and I believe these discussions are to be answered in sections, and as the different sections are read applying to this paper, we will just have a brief discussion on that particular point and proceed to the next and try and expedite this discussion as much as possible, be- cause I realize a good many of you have something to say. The first discussion is by Mr. Frank A. Rank, of the General Electric Company, Salt Lake City. MR. F. A. RANK (General Electric Company, Salt Lake City, Utah) : Mr. Chairman, while my name has been put on the program as being the one to discuss this paper, I believe Mr. Jones of our company has prepared a discussion on it, and therefore will let him talk in my place. MR. A. L. JONES: I think that it is passing the buck. However, Mr. Rank sent me a copy of the paper, and I read it over with a good deal of interest. There is one thing I want to say: Mr. Shubart, in his breezy letters, stated this paper was to be written by Mr. Harrington, assisted by a number of manufacturing and operating companies, among them the General Electric Company. We did not function. The paper was completed, and we were not consulted, and I believe that is true of the others. After reading the paper over, I dictated a few notes which I want to read, to give you the view-point that we have on the subject We do not want to minimize electrical dangers, or in any way slow down high-grade construction maintenance, but there is such a thing as overstating the case. A. L. Jones, Engineer, General Electric Co., Denver, Colo. Mr. Harrington's paper in some ways pleases me very much, but in others gives me quite a different sensation. It is so full of condemnation of most existing practices and conditions that it reminds me somewhat of the nerve-racked mother who sent an older brother to see what Willie was doing and to tell him to "stop it." His recital of electrical dangers is harrowing and if I felt it were a true picture I should feel that any of us having anything to do with the recommending or selling of electrical equipment for mines would be party to a crime. Fortunately all mines are not gaseous nor is all dust explosive or we

Jan 1, 1926