David Dye, acting assistant secretary of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, will deliver the keynote address at the 25th annual International Conference on Ground Control in Mining Aug. 1-3 at Morgantowns Lakeview Scanticon Resort and Conference Center.

Dye will deliver his address at 8:30 this morning (Tuesday, Aug. 1).

The three-day conference, hosted by West Virginia Universitys Department of Mining Engineering, attracts researchers, industry leaders and scholars from across the globe. This years participants will be attending from as far away as Europe, South America, Africa, Australia and China.

Ground control in mining involves the study of how rocks of the earth react to the disturbances of mining and how to make mining areas safe for workers. Participants will present retrospective papers on a wide range of technical topics during the three-day event.

This conference brings mining industry leaders from all over the world together to share information and knowledge,said Syd Peng, conference chairman and WVU Department of Mining Engineering chair.It provides an excellent opportunity to learn what is happening with mining at home and abroad.

Also scheduled to speak at the conference is Lew Wade, a senior advisor at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. He will speak at the Tuesday evening banquet, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the conference.

Having speakers of the caliber of David Dye and Lew Wade, and having attendees from all over the world, demonstrates the great importance of ground control in mining, not just to mining professionals, but to industry leaders everywhere,Peng said.

Licensed, professional engineers attending the conference are eligible to earn up to 20 professional development hours for full participation in the event.

In addition to WVU , conference sponsors include NIOSH , MSHA and the West Virginia Coal Association.

For more information on the conference, visitwww.cemr.wvu.edu/~icgcm