AMC, NCA plan to join forces

A pair of lobbying groups in the U.S. — the American Mining Congress (AMC) and the National Coal Association (NCA) — plan to merge.

Named to head the new mining organization is Richard Lawson, who is currently president of NCA.

The new organization is without a name; suggested is “National Mining Federation.”

The purpose of the merger is not to reduce costs but to increase the reach and effectiveness of each group, says AMC Chairman Richard de J. Osborne. The AMC was considering a restructuring when the idea of a merger with NCA was suggested. The new organization will have a “continental” political presence; many of the coal mines in the U.S. are in eastern states, while the nation’s hardrock mining is mainly in the west.

Lawson, who spent four decades in the military, retired as a 4-star general of the U.S. Air Force in 1986.