Seven lignite mines and power plants received safety awards, eight individuals were honored for their contributions to the lignite industry and one company was recognized for its community service during the Lignite Energy Council’s award luncheon held at the Bismarck Event Center on October 4.
Employees of the Freedom Mine and the Coyote Creek Mine, both at Beulah, North Dakota, and both subsidiaries of North American Coal, were recognized with the Safety Excellence Award for achieving the lowest overall accident incident rate in the lignite industry in 2016.
Pictured L-R: Paul Sukut, chairman of the Lignite Energy Council Board of Directors; Ken Jordon and Dusty Lund of The Coteau Properties Company Freedom Mine; and Kelly Hall, Connie Landsem and Russ Hopfauf of Coyote Creek Mining Company’s Coyote Creek Mine; and Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council.
Five other recipients received Distinguished Safety Awards by compiling safety records which were lower than the industry average accident incident rate in 2016. They included:
- Otter Tail Power’s Coyote Station at Beulah, ND;
- Minnkota Power Cooperative’s Milton R. Young Station at Center, ND;
- Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.’s Lewis & Clark Station at Sidney, MT;
- BNI Coal’s Center Mine at Center, ND; and
- The Falkirk Mining Company’s Falkirk Mine at Underwood, ND.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative received the Community Service Award for its work in developing a community-wide, day-care center in Hazen, North Dakota.
Erin Huntimer, an employee with Basin Electric, received the award on behalf of her employer. Huntimer is also the president of the Energy Capital Cooperative Child Care’s board of directors.
Pictured L-R: Paul Sukut, chairman of the Lignite Energy Council Board of Directors; Erin Huntimer and Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council.Russ Smith, a vice president with TriTec Steel Fabrication, won the Lignite Energy Council’s 2017 Contractor/Supplier Member of the Year Award. He was nominated by employees at the Coyote Station in Beulah, North Dakota, who noted Smith’s dedication to both the industry and his customers at the mines and plants.
Pictured L-R: Paul Sukut, chairman of the Lignite Energy Council Board of Directors; Russ Smith and Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council.Seven individuals were recognized for their contributions to the lignite industry over the span of their careers. They were honored with the Ambassador of Lignite Award for their achievements and support of the lignite industry. The winners included:
- Jan Rudolf with Otter Tail Power Company;
- Doug Stoltz with The Falkirk Mining Company;
- Steve Tomac with Basin Electric Power Cooperative;
- Sue Black with Minnkota Power Cooperative;
- Becky Luhning with Otter Tail Power Company;
- Chris Blowers with BNI Coal; and
- Chuck Kerr with Great Northern Properties.
Pictured L-R: Paul Sukut, chairman of the Lignite Energy Council Board of Directors; Chris Blowers, Chuck Kerr, Doug Stoltz, Steve Tomac, Jan Rudolf and Jason Bohrer, president of the Lignite Energy Council.