Today in coal

How's this for randomness: a court decides that Alpha Natural Resources needs to pay for former Massey CEO Don Blankenship's legal fees. I'm not sure about the legal niceties but I think I'm with Alpha on this. I'm guessing the court ruled this was part of the deal for assuming Massey's liabilities.

Then there's this: WV coal production has been projected to drop by nearly 40 percent over the next 20 years from its 2008 high point. Most of that drop is expected to occur in southern WV, while production in the northern part of the state is comparatively stable.

I'm not sure how WV's ruling class will be able to blame all this on you-know-who but I'm guessing they'll find a way.