From The KDDK Advantage
- April/May 2007
KDDK Establishes Energy
and Mineral Law Group
The U.S. produces about
35 percent of the world’s coal - more than any other
country - and this nation still has more than 250 billion
tons of recoverable coal, thought to be enough to last
for hundreds of years, according to industry newsletter Coal
News.
That said, it is a fact
that there are environmental concerns associated with
the use of coal. America is making strides toward cleaner
coal technology but the bigger picture is this: By the
year 2012, an international alliance called FutureGen
will build the world’s first coal-fired power plant that
produces electricity and hydrogen with nearly zero emissions.
And by later this year, the Tri-State will learn whether
the FutureGen Alliance has chosen an Illinois site -
located within the huge Illinois Coal Basin - for the
construction of this critically important demonstration
plant.
KDDK has positioned itself
to play a larger role in this region’s coal industry
with the establishment of an energy and mineral law group.
Attorney Christine St. John joins Kent (KAB) Brasseale
II and Monica Edwards to round out this group at a time
when coal is re-emerging as one of the most economical,
abundant, and potentially cleanest of natural fuels.
Christine brings to KDDK 16 years of experience in energy
and mineral law with a focus on the coal mining industry.
She is a native of Wheeling, West Virginia, where coal
mining is a part of the culture, and her family’s coal
mining history dates back to the early 1900s when her
grandfather, a Greek immigrant, worked in the coal mines
of West Virginia. Christine’s husband and son also make
their careers in the coal mining industry.
KAB’s background in environmental,
gas and oil law and an undergraduate degree in chemical
engineering have laid the foundation for his work in
energy and mineral law.
Monica holds degrees
in chemistry and environmental & hazardous waste
management and also has a background in environmental
law. With their combined experience, the energy and mineral
law group will make an impactful team.
“Coal is one of the most
important resources that we have in this region, and
I think it’s also important to say that the U.S. has
an unequaled mining safety record,” Christine says. “The
coal mining industry provides very good job opportunities
for people of all backgrounds and education levels. It
is exciting to see the direction this industry is taking
right now and the impact that it could make on our economy
and on the standard of living for people in this area.”
Energy and mineral law
involves the legal guidelines governing ownership, sale
and operation of mines, quarries and wells, and the rights
to natural resources found in the earth. Federal and
state governments enforce mining laws to protect the
health and safety of miners, encourage the efficient
use of natural resources, protect the environment and
generate tax revenues.
If you have questions
or need to discuss an issue involving energy and mineral
law, contact KAB at kbrasseale@kddk.com or
Monica at medwards@kddk.com.
You can reach any of these attorneys by calling 812-423-3183.
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