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Accordingly, Coal Forum Headlines is a compilation of daily articles and stories about coal from around the region and the world. Upon reviewing this news stream, if you have suggestions to improve it or make it more useful please let us know.  And lastly, please share this with your colleagues and if they have an interest simply have them visit here to receive future editions directly.

Justice coal-company retirees face another health-coverage lapse
Charleston Gazette-Mail
Retirees from a Justice-family coal company say their health coverage has lapsed again, intensifying an ongoing legal dispute. The affected former workers are seeking enforcement of benefit obligations while facing uncertainty over medical expenses.

McDowell County residents sue coal company over drinking-water contamination
Appalachian Voices
Residents of Gary, West Virginia, have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that coal-mining and processing activity polluted the community’s drinking-water source. The plaintiffs are seeking a reliable replacement water supply and compliance with federal mining law.

West Virginia mine wastewater becomes source of rare-earth elements
The Japan Times
Researchers and developers in West Virginia are extracting rare-earth elements from acidic water draining abandoned coal mines. The work could turn a persistent environmental liability into a domestic source of minerals needed for advanced manufacturing and defense.

Marshall County residents raise concerns about coal impoundment
WTRF
Residents living near a Marshall County coal impoundment met with an environmental organization to discuss safety and environmental concerns. The meeting focused on conditions at the site and the information available to nearby communities.

Miners’ union presses MSHA to reinstate silica protections
Safety+Health Magazine
UMWA President Brian Sanson is urging MSHA to end its hold on the federal silica-dust rule. The union cites new health data showing severe black-lung rates among long-tenured miners in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Federal mining-workforce initiative includes Virginia Tech
The Roanoke Times
Virginia Tech is among fourteen universities included in a $100 million federal effort to expand mining education and double the number of graduates. The initiative is intended to strengthen the workforce for coal, critical-mineral and related mining sectors.

Pike County coal bankruptcy dismissal leaves workers in limbo
WEKU
A judge has dismissed a Pike County coal operator’s bankruptcy case, leaving workers and creditors uncertain about unpaid obligations and the company’s next steps. The case reflects continued pressure on some Central Appalachian producers.

Coal’s role in powering AI data centers draws organized opposition
Associated Press
Nearly 200 activists associated with the Make America Healthy Again movement are criticizing federal support for using coal generation to meet rising data-center electricity demand. The dispute adds a new political dimension to the reliability and AI-power debate.

Komatsu earns advanced collision-avoidance certification for surface mining
International Mining
Komatsu South Africa says it has become the first surface-mining equipment manufacturer to achieve TRL4 certification for collision-avoidance readiness. The milestone advances implementation of interoperable safety technology on large mobile equipment.

Canada targets late 2027 decision for major carbon-capture network
Energies Media
Canada’s largest oil-sands producers are targeting late 2027 or early 2028 for a final investment decision on the Pathways carbon-capture project. The proposed network would transport and store millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Former British coalfields supply low-carbon mine-water heat
Reasons to Be Cheerful
Communities in Britain are using warm water in abandoned coal mines as a source for district-heating systems. Projects in and around Gateshead show how former coal infrastructure can support new energy development after mining ends.