HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31

(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Kuhn, Amores, Anderson, Angotti, Armstead, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Boggs, Border, Brown, Browning, Butcher, Campbell, Cann, Canterbury, Caputo, Carmichael, Coleman, Compton, Craig, DeLong, Dempsey, Douglas, Doyle, Ellem, Ennis, Evans, Fahey, Faircloth, Ferrell, Flanigan, Fleischauer, Fletcher, Fox, Fragale, Frederick, Givens, Hall, Harrison, Hatfield, Hrutkay, Hubbard, Keener, Kominar, Leach, Leggett, Louisos, Mahan, Manchin, Manuel, Marshall, Martin, Mathews, McGraw, Mezzatesta, Michael, Morgan, Overington, Paxton, Perdue, Perry, Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Proudfoot, Prunty, Riggs, Romine, Schadler, Shaver, Shelton, Smirl, J. Smith, L. Smith, Spencer, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Stephens, Susman, Swartzmiller, R. Thompson, R. M. Thompson, Trump, Tucker, Varner, Walters, Warner, Webb, Webster, C. White, G. White, H. White, Williams, Wills, Wright and Yeager )


[Introduced March 23, 2001; referred to the

Committee on Rules.]


Requesting the Commissioner of the Division of Highways to name the new bridge on United States Route 3, which crosses the Big Coal River in Peytona, Boone County, West Virginia the "Coal Miners' Memorial Bridge."

WHEREAS, Coal was first discovered in 1742 by Mr. John Peter Sally near the town of Peytona in what is now Boone County West Virginia; and
WHEREAS, The coal industry's rapid development in the 1800's allowed coal to emerge as the principal fuel which would power America from a rural to an industrial nation. Coal heated homes, fired locomotives, fueled steamships and was pivotal to the development of steel; and
WHEREAS, This new industry attracted a huge labor force to West Virginia and allowed coal companies to build entire towns which allowed miners to live in close knit communities and develop traditions we still follow today; and
WHEREAS, Coal makes up ninety-five percent of America's fossil fuel resources and West Virginia is underlain with massive deposits of the world's best bituminous coal. Low in sulphur and high in BTU volatility, the coalfields throughout West Virginia comprise perhaps the finest metallurgical and industrial fuel known to man; and
WHEREAS, Coal is found in fifty-three of West Virginia's fifty-five counties with twenty-nine of these counties annually producing coal; and
WHEREAS, the coal industry provides approximately fifty- thousand direct jobs in West Virginia, including miners, mine contractors, coal preparation employees and mine supply companies.
WHEREAS, a recent study found that coal is responsible for more than $12 billion annually in overall economic impact to West Virginia; and
WHEREAS, With the coal industry being one of the main employers in West Virginia and Boone County, the citizens of Boone County have signed a petition to have the bridge at Peytona, Boone County West Virginia named the "Coal Miners' Memorial Bridge" to show respect for the men and women who have and are currently working in the coal industry; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Boone County would also like to recognize the fact that this bridge is in close proximity to where Mr. John Peter Sally first discovered coal and it also marks the location where the miners' crossed on their famous march to Blair Mountain.
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the new bridge on United States Route 3, which crosses the Big Coal River in Peytona, Boone County, West Virginia be named the "Coal Miners' Memorial Bridge," in honor of the sacrifices made by men and women associated with the coal industry; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Coal Museum in Madison and Nancy L. Belcher; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the West Virginia Division of Highways provide and erect a sign at either end of the bridge identifying the bridge as the "Coal Miners' Memorial Bridge."