By Jessica Lilly

February 20, 2009 · The coal industry stands at a crossroads when it comes to climate change. During the West Virginia Coal Association Symposium, both Senator Jay Rockefeller and Governor Joe Manchin told industry officials they can't ignore the issue any longer.

On Wednesday, Rockefeller urged the industry to "get on board" or get left behind. Manchin urged operators to support his plan to have a renewable energy sources generate 10% of the state's energy needs by 2015.

Global warming is a chilling thought for many West Virginia coal miners.

Steve Carpenter is the Corporate Risk Manager for Marshall Miller and Associates, which give coal operators advice on their carbon footprint.

"When people hear that they get terribly concerned that the livelihood of generations of West Virginians is now at stake," he said.

"So the antithesis to that is, going back to Senator Rockefeller, we have 250 to 400 years worth of coal here in West Virgina, we've got coal as a sustainable fuel.

“The positive side to that is we have to get on board, write the rules so that we can live with them. They're not going to be perfect...but it will allow us to sustain ourselves," he said.

Carpenter says his phone rings everyday and that means at least some operators are being proactive.

Global Warming is just one issue the coal industry is tackling. The year 2006 was one of the deadliest for miners in recent history.

Since then, lawmakers passed a slew of mine safety reforms.

Carrol Technologies Group manufactures a tagging tracking system for miners. At the conference, a projector showed, in real time, a local mine using the system. A series of dots flickered across the screen. Each one represents a miner.

"It's a great satisfaction," said Michael Hastings is the company's president.

"When we install these into all these underground mines and we start talking to miners,” Hastings said. “They tell us that, man we wish we had these 25 years ago because such-and-such would still be alive today if we knew where he was."

West Virginia is one of four energy states that, until recently, remained almost unaffected by the economic downturn. But recent mining layoffs, indicate another bump in the tough road ahead for the industry.

West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney is thinking the stimulus bill will help to get things going.

"Hope that all this stimulus package that they're talking about in Washington...is going to work," Raney said.

One stumbling block was removed just last week for the industry. The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling that would have restricted mountaintop removal mining.

Raney told the crowd that decision endorsed what the industry has been doing in the state for decades. The crowd cheered.

Surrounding the lunch tables were booths set up by companies in the coal industry. One marketing company set up a board game-a knock off of Monoopoly called Masseyopoly.

A mining company passed out coal shaped foam stress relievers, perhaps to help coal operators to weather the weeks and months ahead.