Published: June 16, 2021 |

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A mining complex along the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border once owned by Consol Energy Inc. and now owned by what used to be the former Murray Energy Co. will close later this year, with hundreds of miners losing their jobs.

The Monongalia County Coal Co. underground mine and prep plant has a mailing address in Brave, Pennsylvania, but is mostly located in Blacksville, West Virginia. The owners, American Consolidated Natural Resources Inc., formerly Murray Energy Co., confirmed the closing Monday afternoon to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

“Monongalia County Coal Resources Inc. will be permanently closing the Monongalia County Mine, as well as the preparation plant and other facilities associated with the mine,” a company spokesman said via email.

At least 180 people at the mine are being laid off permanently between August and September, according to a WARN notice filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. There were at least 300 people at the mine in April 2020.

Neither American Consolidated Natural Resources nor the United Mine Workers of America immediately responded to requests for more information. UMWA represents the miners who are impacted.

The Pennsylvania WARN notice describes two stages of mass layoffs at an Oak Forest Road location in Brave in Greene County and at a Shamrock Road location in Wana, West Virginia. The first stage will start Aug. 9 and the second Sept. 7. The process is expected to be finished by Sept. 21.

“At that point, there are expected to be less than ten (10) employees retained to finish closure-related activities,” the company said in the Pennsylvania WARN notice.

The Monongalia County Coal Mine had once been known as Blacksville No. 2 mine, which first began operations in 1970. It was the 38th-largest producing coal mine in the United States in 2019, with 4.4 million short tons of coal. It was in 2019 the 10th-largest mine in northern Appalachia that includes Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Murray Energy had acquired Blacksville No. 2, along with several other West Virginia coal mines, in December 2013 from Consol Energy in a $3.5 billion deal. It had employed about 500 people in 2015.

Source: Pittsburgh Business Times

About American Consolidated Natural Resources
American Consolidated Natural Resources, previously known as Murray Energy, is a US-based coal mining company. It is the fourth largest coal producer in the country, and the largest privately-owned coal company. Founded in 1988 by Robert E. Murray, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019.

To stop by American Consolidated Natural Resources’ website, CLICK HERE

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