Around the State
COMPILED BY JENNIFER JETT PREZKOP
Capito, Manchin Announce
More Than $4.5 Million
for West Virginia Airports
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito and
Joe Manchin have announced $4.5 million
for two West Virginia airports through
the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DOT). Funding will support taxiway
reconstruction at Raleigh County Memo-
rial Airport and airport drainage infra-
structure at Huntington Tri-State Airport.
“As a member of the Senate Appropri-
ations Committee’s Transportation Sub-
committee, I’ve been working closely with
Secretary Chao and others at the DOT
to make sure we take care of our smaller
airports,” says Capito. “By upgrading
runway infrastructure, West Virginia
airports will operate more efficiently and
more safely and service more people.”
According to Manchin, West Virginia’s
airports help drive the state’s economy and
boost its tourism industry, and making
sure they receive the resources they need
is crucial.
“This funding will help airports in Hun-
tington and Beckley make the needed im-
provements and repairs so they can continue
to operate,” he says. “As a member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee, I will
continue to fight for more funding for West
Virginia’s airports to help continue to grow
our economy and tourism in our state.”
New Fuel Facility to Bring Jobs and
Development to Mason County
Domestic Synthetic Fuels, a West Virginia
company, will soon break ground on a
coal-to-liquids facility in Mason County.
The facility will be the first of its kind
in the country.
According to Kevin Whited, president
of Domestic Synthetic Fuels, the coal-to-
liquids facility is expected to create 130
full-time jobs and boost the local, state
and regional economy.
The direct coal-to-liquids process to
be utilized in Mason County mixes coal
with a catalyst and hydrogen derived
from natural gas and subjects the mixture
to heat and pressure to produce ultra-
low-sulfur diesel fuel, gasoline and other
liquids. A similar facility in China has
been operating since 2008. The result-
ing fuels burn cleaner than those refined
from petroleum and are just as effective
in vehicles.
Mason County was chosen for the fuel
plant because the area has easy barge
access and is close to plentiful supplies
of coal and natural gas.
Rendering of Domestic Synthetic
Fuels’ coal-to-liquids facility.
WWW.WVEXECUTIVE.COM
SUMMER 2019
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