MADISON -- Third District U.S. Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II has been selected Grand Marshal of the 2012 West Virginia Coal Festival, which begins next week. “Congressman Rahall has been a friend of coal for many years and has been here to be actively involved with his constituents on many occasions over the years,” said Joy Underwood, WV Coal Festival president. Rahall, a Wet Virginia native, currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and served the last four years as the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, on which he was a member for 34 years. First elected in 1976, Rahall is currently serving his 18th term in the House of Representatives and is recognized as the youngest elected longest serving member in the history of the House of Representatives. Born and raised in Southern West Virginia and molded by his family’s strong work ethic, generous spirit, and unwavering faith in God and Country, Congressman Rahall is committed to working in Congress to improve the lives of southern West Virginians and to ensure a bright future for generations of West Virginians to come. Rahall has taken on the cause of greater protections for coalfield citizens by spearheading legislation on multiple occasions to extend the Abandoned Mine Reclamation program, now law, which provides funds to combat health, safety and environmental threats from old mine sites. In course of this effort, provisions were included to allow these funds to be used for public water supply systems in the coalfields as well as to help finance healthcare for retired coal miners. Look in next week’s edition for a special “West Virginia Coal Festival” section, which includes a schedule of events and stories related to the annual festival.