This article is 20 years old. Images might not display.
88ֳ
According to preliminary West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training statistics, underground mines produced 63.3% of the total production.
Employment increased by 913 workers to 13,927.
Despite 2004’s increase, output still fell significantly short of past records.
"It is getting more difficult to mine coal. The seams are getting thinner and it is getting further from transportation points,” West Virginia Coal Association president Bill Raney told Associated Press.
“Coal today almost without exception has to be run through a preparation plant before it is shipped to market. The competition is becoming more intense from western states and from foreign countries.”