Eighty-six years after Ohio’s worst mining disaster scars persist, but life goes on

Legislation introduced in the Queensland state parliament could have a negative impact on mining. The bill, the first of its kind to be introduced in Australia, bans mines that would make land unusable for farming, the Courier-Mail reported Wednesday: "The resources sector is growing in Queensland, but our government's commitment is to sustainable growth supporting mining in the right places, while ensuring best agriculture land is protected for future generations," (Environment Minister Rachel) Nolan said in a statement.

According to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), direct mining expenditures in British Columbia mining crested $5.2 billion in 2010. An additional $3.7 billion was spent in secondary and support industries and services resulting in a total of $8.9 billion of economic activity across British Columbia. The Economic Impact Analysis report commissioned by the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) and compiled by PwC measures direct, indirect and induced economic impacts of mining in terms of output, Gross Domestic Product, employment and government tax revenues.

Reuters reports ArcelorMittal has pulled out of its joint $5 billion bid with US giant Peabody Energy for Australian coking coal miner Macarthur, just days after the target's top shareholder accepted the offer and left the Indian steelmaker with a higher than expected cost. Some observers were skeptical when Peabody and Arcelor raised their bid at at time coking coal prices have been falling and according to a new report could pull back to $240/tonne towards the end of next year. Now that it is flying solo Peabody may have to raise cash to fund the transaction. The deal also comes amid the planned introduction of an onerous carbon tax next year and rising labour costs in Australia thanks to the strong Aussie dollar.

Stock in US coal giant Peabody Energy and India's ArcelorMittal surged on Monday after their joint bidding vehicle secured a 59.85% stake in Australian metallurgical-coal miner Macarthur Coal and raised its offer for the whole of the company to $5.1 billion. The deal comes despite the planned introduction of an onerous carbon tax next year which should put further pressure on Australia's miners already dealing with rising labour costs thanks to the strong Aussie dollar. The takeover is also amid falling coking coal prices which according to a new report is set to pull back to $240/tonne towards the end of next year from historic highs of $330/tonne.

Boss Power (CVE:BPU), which successfully settled a lawsuit on Thursday with the Province of British Columbia, is now looking at ways to spend […]

National Geographic News reports that Bellingham has in the past been lauded for becoming one of the few cities in the US to rely solely on solar and hydro-generated electricity, its innovative building efficiency program, and the "buy local" ethos of its bustling farmers' markets. But now the US coal industry has its eye on it.

It is vital for the South African government to step up and take a bigger stake in the mining industry, a top economic advisor told those attending a Mining for Change conference in Johannesburg on Friday. The comments come one week ahead of so-called Economic Freedom Youth Mass Action marches on the Chamber of Mines and stock exchange organized by Julius Malema (pictured), populist leader of the influential youth wing of the ruling African National Congress with the support of the 260,000 member Metalworkers Union. Malema recently told crowds that the nationalization debate within the ANC is a question of how not if, and an August industry-led investigation said the ruling party is closest to seizing mines since the end of white rule in 1994.

One of the Seven Great Wonders of the World is being threatened by mining. Reuters reports that legal and illegal mines operating below the Great Wall of China are tearing chunks of the wall away and allowing the historic landmark to crumble: About 200 km (124 miles) southwest of Beijing, in rural Laiyuan county in Hebei province, dozens of small mines are threatening the stability of the centuries-old wall as prospectors dig for copper, iron, molybdenum and nickel, state news agency Xinhua reported. Some mines have excavated within 100 meters of the wall.

China's net coal imports this year are expected to reach around 150 million tonnes less than last year's 164.83 million tonnes, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, citing the country's coal association. The annual output is estimated to exceed 3.5 billion tonnes this year, compared with about 3.3 billion tonnes last year. Domestic demand will keep rising at a moderate pace amid steady economic growth, but uncertainty in the macro economy will decelerate demand growth, predicted Wang Zhanjun, an official with China National Coal Association. Meanwhile the state electricity authority said power cuts were likely this winter due to tight coal supplies and a fall in hydroelectric output. China relies on coal for the vast majority of its power-generating capacity.