Geysers, dry wells, damage to buildings and strange slime in creeks have residents near Wolf Pen, West Virginia, looking for answers. Meanwhile, coal companies dodge accountability by blaming each other.
Blog Archives
Coal Companies Point Fingers as Local Residents Contend With Flood and Home Damage
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources Bluestone Resources Coal Contura mine reclamation Pinn MC Wind Down Co. Pinnacle Mine Complex West Virginia Geysers Wolf Pen
Gaming the system — Part III
In 2021, the Government Accountability Office found big problems with the Labor Department’s current rules because they do not require sufficient collateral to cover both current and future black lung liabilities.
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources Black Lung Black Lung Benefits Act Black Lung Disability Trust Fund black lung excise tax Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act U.S. Department of Labor
Gaming the system — Part II
Congress stated clearly that coal operators, instead of taxpayers, would shoulder the cost of black lung when it set up the Black Lung Trust Fund. The trust fund was intended to be a backstop for miners rather than a means for coal operators to underinsure their liabilities.
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources Black Lung Black Lung Benefits Act Black Lung Disability Trust Fund black lung excise tax Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act U.S. Department of Labor
Gaming the system — Part I
At its core, this is the age-old story of corporate greed whereby rapacious mine operators, who have subjected generations of miners to disabling and fatal black lung disease, managed to transfer their responsibility to pay black lung benefits to suffering coal miners from their corporate coffers to the taxpayer’s pockets.
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources Black Lung Black Lung Benefits Act Black Lung Disability Trust Fund black lung excise tax Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act U.S. Department of Labor
Expired mining permit poses risks to Coal River Mountain and surrounding communities
Contact: Sumer Shaikh, sumer.shaikh@sierraclub.org Erin Savage, erin@appvoices.org, 206-769-8286 Vernon Haltom, vernon@crmw.net, 304-952-4610 CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, a coalition of groups filed a federal lawsuit against mining company Republic Energy seeking to halt unlawful coal mining activities in Raleigh County, W.V.…
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources charleston coal miner Coal mining Coal River Mountain Mountaintop Removal West Virginia
Coal slurry spill in West Virginia linked to Alpha Natural Resources affiliate
A coal slurry spill on March 23, 2017, leaked approximately 5,400 gallons of coal slurry into Crooked Run, a tributary of the Coal River. The processing plant in Boone County, W.Va., where the spill originated is affiliated with Alpha Natural Resources.
Alpha Natural Resources to Exit Bankruptcy
Alpha Natural Resources won approval to emerge from bankruptcy. The plan rests on the transfer of Alpha’s core coal assets to new company, Contura Energy, Inc.
Bankrupt Coal Companies Dodge Liabilities and Distribute Bonuses
Three major U.S. coal companies have filed bankruptcy and are grappling with their liabilities to restore sites after mining and their obligations to employees, past and present.
Major Coal Companies File for Bankruptcy
Both Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources are undergoing bankruptcy. Alpha was allowed to issue nearly $12 million in executive bonuses, even while it tries to avoid paying some retirees’ life insurance and health benefits.
West Virginia Communities Still at Risk Despite Idled Mines
West Virginia communities, including Naoma and Sundial are still dealing with problems related to mountaintop removal coal mining. Toxic coal slurry impoundments, increased blasting and diminished water quality are among the challenges facing such communities at risk.
TAGS: Alpha Natural Resources appalachia Appalachian Voices bankruptcy Coal mining coal sludge communities at risk Mountaintop Removal West Virginia
