(R) – Mark Fisher’s heat mask allows him to look inside. | Coal - America's black gold

hit counter

Coal - America's black gold

(R) – Mark Fisher’s heat mask allows him to look inside.

(R) – Mark Fisher’s heat mask allows him to look inside.

In the heart of any coal-fired generating station are the furnaces that burn the coal, at temps well over 2K°. Mark Fisher’s job is to make sure they’re burning correctly. Looking into the fire, well, ‘you’re looking at sunlight’ that hit the earth 10,000 years ago, and ultimately helped make coal.

A coal miner holding a handful of freshly processed coal.

Map of an Alpha Natural Resources mining area.

Bradley Clevinger, Rogers Salyers and Johnny Osborn.

Caterpillar 785B loader rumbling through the Virginia landscape.

An Alpha Natural Resources miner stands atop a mining machine.

An Alpha Natural Resources miner with his Caterpillar D10.

Alpha Natural Resources Miner with his Caterpillar 998H Loader

Coal miner Mr. Teddy Clevinger with his Caterpillar 785B Loader

Alpha Natural Resources miner Rogers Salyers @ the loading area

Aerial views of coal mining & coal moving via rail

Aerial view of a reclaimed mining site, SW VA.

Unloading shed @ Dominion Power’s Halifax generating station.

DTA coal washing station.

Coal being unloaded and sent to the furnaces

Anthony Farrior of Dominion Power & his Caterpillar D11.

The 'skeloton & circulatory system' of a power station

(R) – Mark Fisher’s heat mask allows him to look inside.

Inside Dominion Power’s Halifax generating station.

Dominion Power’s Halifax, VA coal power generating station.