Executives Running Collapsing Coal Companies Award Themselves Millions While Laying Off Workers

Executives of the top coal-producing companies in the country got compensation increases while their companies spiraled into bankruptcy, laid off workers, or tried to slash employee benefits, a new report finds.

Most top executives for Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources got compensation increases worth in total millions of dollars as the companies went into massive debt often due to fruitless expansions, the report released Tuesday by Public Citizen, an advocacy organization, found. In conjunction with the report, Public Citizen also sent letters to Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and Alpha Natural Resources chief executive officers urging them to invest their multi-million dollar bonuses in a trust fund for laid off workers.

Coal Pollution Costs Western Balkans Dear

LONDON—One dollar in three earned by the economy of Serbia is accounted for by those of its citizens who die early because of the country’s soaring air pollution.

The finding, by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is contained in a report published by a campaign group that argues for an end to coal-burning throughout Europe by 2040 to protect health and to reduce the carbon emissions that drive climate change.

Australia Approves Coal Mine That Environmentalists Call ‘A Complete Disaster’ For Coral Reef

Australia will soon be home to one of the world’s biggest coal mines, now that the government has given its approval for the controversial project.

This week, Australia’s government approved the Carmichael mine, a project that’s backed by India’s Adani Enterprises. Environmentalists have staunchly opposed the mine, which will be located in central Queensland, because they say the increase in coal shipping that the mine will spur threatens the Great Barrier Reef. And, they say, the emissions that will come from burning the coal will contribute to the ocean warming and acidification that’s already threatening the reef.

Coal Investment Is the Most Urgent Climate Threat

LONDON—The future of coal has come under scrutiny from a perhaps unlikely source—the head of the organisation representing wealthy nations that relied on coal for 32% of electricity generation last year.

Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said the scale of new investments in “unabated” coal-fired electricity generation—where greenhouse gases are emitted directly to the atmosphere—posed the most urgent threat to the Earth’s climate.

Norway Confirms Major Divestment From Coal

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Norway's Parliament has formally endorsed a move to exclude coal companies from the country's $900 billion oil fund because of their impact on climate change.

Friday's decision was expected after a parliamentary committee last week unanimously recommended dropping coal investments.

Coal-Rich Poland Ready To Block EU Climate Deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders agreed early Friday to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the 28-nation bloc to at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.

The deal was aimed at countering climate change and setting an example for the rest of the world ahead of key international climate negotiations next year.

BC Cities Demand Review of Thermal Coal Exports

The province's 190 local governments and 26 districts are calling for more government oversight over thermal coal exports in British Columbia, which are set to increase after a recent federal decision.

Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities' annual meeting in Whistler voted in favour of an assessment of the health and environmental risks of coal carried by train from the U.S. through White Rock and Surrey, and by barge to B.C.'s Texada Island -- a corridor beyond the scope of Port Metro Vancouver's own required reviews.

The UBCM resolution states that "there is currently no mechanism that provides oversight or ensures the implementation of mitigation measures to minimize environmental and health impacts of thermal coal transport over coastal waters and by rail."

Australian export risk on China dirty coal ban

Australian coal exporters are scrambling to clarify the fallout from changes to China's coal import rules, which could expose the industry to billions of dollars in lost sales as China seeks to cut air pollution.

The Chinese government is to limit the use of imported coal with more than 16 per cent ash and 3 per cent sulphur from January 1, 2015, in a bid to improve air quality, especially in the major cities such as Beijing and around Shanghai.

One Of America's Dirtiest Coal Plants Had Some Dire Predictions. It Was Wrong.

HOMER CITY, Pa. (AP) — Three years ago, the operators of one of the nation's dirtiest coal-fired power plants warned of "immediate and devastating" consequences from the Obama administration's push to clean up pollution from coal.

Faced with cutting sulfur dioxide pollution blowing into downwind states by 80 percent in less than a year, lawyers for EME Homer City Generation L.P. sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block the rule, saying it would cause it grave harm and bring a painful spike in electricity bills.

None of those dire predictions came to pass.

BC coal mine's temp workers 'exacerbate' concerns over Chinese investment: gov't memo

VANCOUVER - An internal federal review of a decision to grant permits to a Chinese company to bring temporary foreign workers from China for its British Columbia coal mine found the company met or exceeded all requirements.

But the November report notes that the sequence of events in HD Mining's application to bring 201 miners over from China for its Murray River coal mine leaves some questions as to the "genuineness" of the company in its search for Canadian workers.

We can choose not to export coal in B.C.

“Seems like it's a problem we probably have to get used to,” said conservative CNN commentator Erick Erickson about climate change, “as opposed to something we can cure.” In a segment lampooning the curious habit of conservatives rejecting the fact of human-caused global warming only to eventually claim it’s too late to do anything about it, Stephen Colbert summed it up well: “Erickson has finally hit the fifth stage of conservative climate change grief: denial, denial, denial, denial, and acceptance.”

This mystifying, and disingenuous, change of heart is visible practically everywhere now -- including in the debate over coal. Terminal ports around the Pacific Northwest are planning on shipping coal abroad, particularly to China. And the rationalization is, basically, that it’s too late to do anything about it -- so we might as well sell it off and get the tax revenues and the jobs before someone else does.

Activists Disrupt Arch Coal Corporate HQ

CREVE COEUR, MO —  Seven affiliated with the RAMPS campaign (Radical Action for Mountain Peoples’ Survival), MORE (Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment) and Mountain Justice are locked down to a 500-pound small potted tree in Arch Coal’s third-floor headquarters while a larger group is in the lobby performing a song and dance.  Additionally, a helium balloon banner with the message “John Eaves Your Coal Company Kills”, directed at the Arch Coal CEO was released in at the Arch Coal headquarters.

“We’re here to halt Arch’s operations for as long as we can. These coal corporations do not answer to communities, they only consume them.  We’re here to resist their unchecked power,” explained Margaret Fetzer, one of the protestors.

Canadian miners won’t be at B.C. coal mine for another four years, documents say

VANCOUVER—Court documents reveal that a company planning to bring 201 Chinese miners to a project in northern B.C. would be using temporary foreign workers in its transition plans for the next 14 years.

Two unions are in court challenging temporary foreign worker permits obtained by HD Mining for its Murray River underground coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

B.C. coal exports are Lotus Land’s dirty little secret

EDMONTON - West Coasters are fiercely proud of British Columbia’s green image.

Environmental activism has long been a key part of the province’s identity and political fabric. Given that, it’s no surprise that many Lotus Landers despise what they regard as “dirty oil” from Alberta’s oilsands and are dead set against any new pipelines that would carry bitumen to the West Coast.

Company behind B.C. mine shuts separate project over temporary worker concerns

VANCOUVER - The legal and political troubles that have overshadowed a plan to bring 201 Chinese workers to a proposed coal mine in northern British Columbia have prompted one of the companies involved to shut down a separate coal project nearby.

Canadian Dehua International Mines Group Inc. announced Saturday it has decided to wind down work at its Wapiti River coal project, located southeast of Tumbler Ridge.

Coal Port to China Barges ahead without Public Support: Activists

A plan to significantly expand a Surrey coal port -- allowing it to export four million metric tonnes of the fossil fuel a year, mostly to China, and potentially doubling that later -- is barging ahead quietly without much public awareness or input, says a climate change activist group.

Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD) wants to build a direct transfer port enabling Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway -- owned by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett -- to dump their loads into 8,000-tonne barges bound for Texada Island, where it would be loaded into deep sea vessels.

Abuse and exploitation inherent to Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program

As scandals rock the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, the federal government will begin a program wide review. Though the government hinted at it, they did not mention the endemic abuse that is inherent in the TFW program, and the global treatment of migrant workers.

In the last month, the TFW program has made headlines after reports surfaced that migrant workers from China were being recruited to a coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Even though according to the B.C. Federation of Labour, B.C. lost over 10,000 jobs last month, and over 300 Canadians applied for these jobs, all were denied as they didn't have the right training or qualifications. One of the qualifications on the job description was that they be able to speak Mandarin.

Foreign Worker Review Was Already Underway, Permits Won't Be Pulled: Kenney

Permits allowing foreign workers from China to work at a mining project near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia will not be rescinded by immigration authorities as a review of the case goes on, said the federal Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Minister Jason Kenney gave a different picture from news reports stating controversy over Chinese miners in B.C. "prompted" the review, saying the Conservative government had already been reviewing the Temporary Foreign Workers Program for months before the uproar in B.C.

The minister was addressing a Burnaby Board of Trade function Friday afternoon and afterwards told media the 201 miners will still be able to work at HD Mining's Murray River project.

Hiring of Chinese miners in B.C. sends unions to court

VANCOUVER—The hiring of about 200 Chinese miners to work in northern British Columbia has raised concerns with Ottawa as unions went to court Monday seeking to overturn the decision to allow the foreign workers into Canada.

The workers, some of whom are already at the mine near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., were allowed in after getting approval from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Ottawa investigating permits for Chinese miners in B.C.

The federal government is investigating foreign worker permits that will bring Chinese miners to British Columbia to determine whether the applications meet federal requirements.

Labour leaders have raised numerous concerns about permits obtained by HD Mining to bring 200 temporary workers to B.C. for its proposed Murray River coal mine.