New Coal Mine To Begin Production In Raleigh County

Coal production will begin this month at the new Beckley Pocahontas Mine in Raleigh County. The mine, owned by International Coal Group of Scott Depot, W.Va., is ready for operation after a year of construction and preparation. Company officials say the mine will not reach full production capacity until mid-2008. At full capacity, the mine is expected to yield 1.4 million tons of high-grade metallurgical coal per year. About 150 miners will work underground in three shifts, maintaining a continuous operation. Another 30 workers will man the large new “prep plant” that cleans the coal in preparation for shipment.

Defense, Tech Firm To Expand Workforce In West Virginia

Northrop Grumman Corp. has announced it will be expanding its workforce in West Virginia. The Los Angeles-based national defense and technology company announced plans in early August to build a National Work Force Center somewhere within the Interstate 79 technology corridor in northcentral West Virginia. The work force center will add 50 new full-time technology jobs, including software, network, system and database engineers. The jobs will be based in West Virginia, but the employees will work on projects worldwide. Northrop Grumman already has 75 employees in West Virginia and has partnered with other West Virginia companies for projects with NASA, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Postal Service.