The Appalachian Coal Country Team and The Eastern Coal Council visit ASL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Photo by: Akiah Highsmith


Billie Campbell, Barbara Altizer, James Keen and Dr. John Craynon from The Appalachian Coal Country Team and The Eastern Coal Council visited ASL February 6th to discuss the history of mining in Buchanan County, the Powell River Project, The Buchanan County Industrial Development Authority on the process of strip mining and the development of the Southern Gap Project that has brought GrundyPoplar Gap Park and the MunicipalAirport.

 Billie Campbell
President, Terra Tech Engineering Services, P.C.
Billie Campbell is one of three owners of Terra Tech Engineering and has been with Terra Tech from day one in 1997. Billie serves as President of Terra Tech and also as one of the design engineers. Billie's design specialization includes structural design, municipal water works design, wastewater/sewage treatment design, and mine planning and reserve evaluation. Billie also serves his hometown in several community organizations.

Barbara Altizer
Executive Director, Eastern Coal Council
Barbara Altizer is a public relations professional whose career combines energy and community advocacy, government service and business interest group administration. She is an experienced administrator, promoter and marketing specialist with wide ranging interests in economic development, government, and the furtherance of the Eastern coal industry, education and historic preservation.

James Keen
Grundy Town Manager
James Keen is currently serving his second term as Grundy's Town Manager after working as a consultant for both the Town and regional coal companies. Prior to his consultancy, James worked for 27 years for Jewell Smokeless and continues to serve as part of their philanthropic arm. James is currently serving in a number of community service organizations including the Coal Field Water Development Fund.

John Craynon, Ph. D, P.E.
ARIES Project Director, Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research
Dr. Craynon became the Project Director for Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Sciences (ARIES) program at the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech in March 2011. His previous career in the US Federal Government, which spanned 28 years, focused on mining and the environment and the universe of technical, legal, and public policy issues related to mining. His work related to diverse topics such as coal mining, mine waste management, cleanup of contaminated sites, coal combustion byproducts, underground mine mapping, acid mine drainage, subsidence, hydrology, steam restoration, reforestation, sustainable reclamation and invasive species issues.