As a new member of FACES of Coal, I would like to take this opportunity to invite the readers of this newspaper to visit the “FACES” Web site to learn more about coal and coal mining in this general area and across our nation. The following introduction and Mission Statement is taken from the organizations’ Web site.

The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) is an alliance of people from all walks of life who are joining forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining to our local and national economies and to our nation’s energy security.

In addition to keeping tens of thousands of people employed in good-paying jobs, coal is the lifeblood of our domestic energy supply, generating half the electricity consumed in the United States today.

Our Mission is:

To campaign for the economic prosperity coal provides through good jobs and affordable energy;

To protect our nation’s security and tradition of self-reliance through the use of coal, our most abundant and affordable domestic source of energy;

To preserve our environment by promoting good stewardship of our natural resources;

To strengthen our communities by advancing technologies that mine coal using safe and environmentally and economically responsible mining methods.

Contact us at http://www.facesofcoal.org/

I hope you find this web page beneficial and that they, too can become members and thus another face of Faces of Coal. Thank you.

John F. Enyart, Ashland, Ky.