Arctic Directory October 2015: Usibelli Coal achieves safety milestone
Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. in Healy, Alaska, achieved a treasured benchmark on July 16 of one complete year with no lost time injury.
Joe Usibelli Jr., president of Usibelli Coal Mine, stated, “We work in a very demanding environment with very large equipment. Add in the challenging weather and terrain - it is tough business to keep this operation moving forward safely. It is a tremendous credit to every employee that we have achieved one full year with no injuries. The culture of the company is to empower every employee to be safe. I am extremely proud of their accomplishments.”
Alan Renshaw, general manager and VP operations, said, “We work hard to satisfy our customers demand for coal. The military, the university, and our local electric cooperative depend on us for on-time deliveries. The schedule is aggressive. There’s work to be done 24/7/365. The lights stay on all the time at UCM. Regardless of whether we have just a few employees on duty or a full crew, safety is mission number one. We take good care of our workforce. We provide them with rewards and incentives to accomplish their mission in a safe manner.”
Usibelli Coal Mine is a fourth generation, family-owned, all-Alaskan business, employing approximately 115 Alaskans, and currently the only operational coal mine in Alaska. UCM will produce 1.4 million tons of ultra-low sulfur, subbituminous coal during calendar year 2015.
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