Blackjewel’s bankruptcy demonstrates how the mine cleanup system is coming undone — and how nearby residents bear the burden when coal companies fail to repair their damage.
Blog Archives
Blackjewel’s Catastrophic Bankruptcy and the Collapse of the Mine Cleanup System
TAGS: blackjewel bond forfeiture coal bankruptcy coal companies mine land reclamation mine reclamation pool bond Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act
Companies play hot potato with unreclaimed Blackjewel mines
Virginia regulators, a surety insurance company, and two coal companies are playing hot potato with 22 of bankrupt Blackjewel’s coal permits — and none of them want to be left with the responsibility of reclaiming the sites.
TAGS: blackjewel Coal coal bankruptcy coal companies mine reclamation southwest virginia Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy
West Virginia Enacts Coal Tax Cut
Gov. Jim Justice signed bills dropping a tax on coal from 5 to 3 percent over the next three years and granting a 35 percent tax credit to coal companies buying new equipment for new or expanded mining operations.
Bankrupt Westmoreland Coal granted permission to sever worker agreements
A federal bankruptcy judge ruled that Westmoreland Coal Company can back out of its collective bargaining agreements with current workers and retirees as soon as Feb. 28, putting pensions and health benefits for thousands of people at risk.
Report calls for improvements to coal mine bonding in Central Appalachia
The Alliance for Appalachia, a coalition of 15 organizations, today released a report on the state of surface coal mine bonding in four Central Appalachian states. Bonds are used to ensure reclamation of mine sites should a company be unable…
TAGS: bankruptcy bonding Central Appalachia coal companies Coal mining Mountaintop Removal self-bonding
Retired Miners Face Possible Loss of Benefits
Retired coal miners face possible loss of benefits, a Duke University study reveals coal ash byproducts in area fish, The U.S. State Department approves the Keystone XL pipeline and other shorts from The Energy Report.
