Tuesday cannot come fast enough. If he's re-elected, we're screwed.
http://harlandaily.com/bookmark/20662742
40 miners lose jobs at Cumberland Mine
The Harlan Daily Enterprise
22 hrs ago | 1869 views | 0 | 7 | |
Nola Sizemore
Staff Writer
Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) said Tuesday the Still House Branch Mine at Cumberland will close leaving 40 miners without jobs and 40 additional miners being reassigned to other company mines located nearby.
“We have 12 or 13 more people left at the mine doing clean-up work,” said ANR Manager of External Communications Rick Nida. “The closing of this mine was all part of what we announced in September reporting we would be closing some of our mines. This is just part of that.”
Nida said the 40 miners reassigned will be working at Alpha’s Cloverlick Mines #1 and #3 and Northfork #5 and #6. He said the Cloverlick mines are located in Harlan County and the Northfork mines are located in nearby Letcher County.
Alpha has already closed mining operations in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
When asked if there are plans to close more of their Harlan County mining operations, Nida said there are “no announcements at this time.”
“We’ll make announcements as we need to,” said Nida. “This all depends upon the market conditions. As everyone probably knows the thermal coal market has been reduced because of the number of coal-fired plants closed or announced that they will be closing. There’s competition with natural gas — with gas prices being so low — and there’s regulations that make it harder to mine. All of those issues kind of clash to make it to a point where we have to rationalize these higher cost thermal coal mines.”
Calling it “a difficult time” to take this type of action, Nida said the shutdowns and layoffs are a necessary part of ensuring Alpha survives in what has become a difficult U.S. market.
“It’s always difficult, but we have to be sure we’ve got a market for our products,” said Nida. “Right now, it’s a real difficult market place.”
Alpha is the nation’s largest supplier of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries
In June 2011, Alpha acquired Massey Energy Company to become America’s third-largest coal company and the fifth-largest coal producer in the world. With the new acquisition, Alpha assets included more than 150 mines, 40 coal preparation facilities and one of the world’s largest and highest-quality metallurgical coal reserve bases.
“This year, utilities in the U.S. are expected to burn the least amount of steam coal than at any time in the last 20 years, and the pressure’s been very intense on coal sourced from eastern Kentucky, particularly operations rendered uncompetitive due to fuel switching, relatively high rail rates and competition from Illinois Basin coal,” said Kevin Crutchfield, Alpha’s chairman and CEO. “Layoffs are an unfortunate last resort, and it’s tough for miners that want to work but are unable to because of factors beyond their control and the company’s control.”
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise - Alpha to cut production
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise
http://www.harlandaily.com/view/full_st ... thout-work
Alpha closes Coalgood Energy; 25 without work
The Harlan Daily Enterprise
20 days ago | 3086 views | 0 | 8 | |
Nola Sizemore
Staff Writer
Coalgood Energy Coal Company has officially closed, leaving approximately 25 more people unemployed.
Alpha Natural Resources Manager of External Operations Rick Nida said the closing was due primarily to market conditions for thermal coal in the United States.
“The property is in reclamation right now and they are about to finish up,” said Nida. “The property is being returned to its approximate original condition or for whatever use the permit said the final use would be after the mine has been completed and reclaimed. You have to return the land for that use.”
Alpha Natural Resources also owns Black Mountain Resources, which is located in Benham. Nida said there are no announcements, at this time, in regard to layoffs or closure of that mine.
“The coal markets are in transition right now, especially the thermal coal markets where coal-fired generation plants are closed or planning to close,” said Nida. “This has reduced the demand for that particular product — coal.”
Nida listed three things he feels is now causing the down spiral of coal in Harlan County and throughout the United States.
“One is the low price of natural gas,” said Nida. “There has been some fuel switching. If the price of natural gas goes back up then switching may go back in the other direction. Generally, the U.S. economy has been weak so the demand for electricity from businesses and consumers has been less. Should the U.S. economy improve, businesses bounce back and consumers begin to use more electricity, then demand may increase. The third issue is regulation on coal-fired generation plants, which will cause, some studies say, as much as 20 percent of the coal-fired coal generation plants to close in the next 10 years. That’s not likely to change. If those plants get shut down, then the demand for coal will be less.”
When asked if employees losing their jobs were being offered jobs at other locations, Nida said, “Throughout the system we’ve had some reductions in force and some employees have been reassigned. I don’t believe that is the case at Coalgood Energy.”
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise - Alpha closes Coalgood Energy 25 without work
http://harlandaily.com/bookmark/20662742
40 miners lose jobs at Cumberland Mine
The Harlan Daily Enterprise
22 hrs ago | 1869 views | 0 | 7 | |
Nola Sizemore
Staff Writer
Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) said Tuesday the Still House Branch Mine at Cumberland will close leaving 40 miners without jobs and 40 additional miners being reassigned to other company mines located nearby.
“We have 12 or 13 more people left at the mine doing clean-up work,” said ANR Manager of External Communications Rick Nida. “The closing of this mine was all part of what we announced in September reporting we would be closing some of our mines. This is just part of that.”
Nida said the 40 miners reassigned will be working at Alpha’s Cloverlick Mines #1 and #3 and Northfork #5 and #6. He said the Cloverlick mines are located in Harlan County and the Northfork mines are located in nearby Letcher County.
Alpha has already closed mining operations in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
When asked if there are plans to close more of their Harlan County mining operations, Nida said there are “no announcements at this time.”
“We’ll make announcements as we need to,” said Nida. “This all depends upon the market conditions. As everyone probably knows the thermal coal market has been reduced because of the number of coal-fired plants closed or announced that they will be closing. There’s competition with natural gas — with gas prices being so low — and there’s regulations that make it harder to mine. All of those issues kind of clash to make it to a point where we have to rationalize these higher cost thermal coal mines.”
Calling it “a difficult time” to take this type of action, Nida said the shutdowns and layoffs are a necessary part of ensuring Alpha survives in what has become a difficult U.S. market.
“It’s always difficult, but we have to be sure we’ve got a market for our products,” said Nida. “Right now, it’s a real difficult market place.”
Alpha is the nation’s largest supplier of metallurgical coal used in the steel-making process and a major supplier of thermal coal to electric utilities and manufacturing industries
In June 2011, Alpha acquired Massey Energy Company to become America’s third-largest coal company and the fifth-largest coal producer in the world. With the new acquisition, Alpha assets included more than 150 mines, 40 coal preparation facilities and one of the world’s largest and highest-quality metallurgical coal reserve bases.
“This year, utilities in the U.S. are expected to burn the least amount of steam coal than at any time in the last 20 years, and the pressure’s been very intense on coal sourced from eastern Kentucky, particularly operations rendered uncompetitive due to fuel switching, relatively high rail rates and competition from Illinois Basin coal,” said Kevin Crutchfield, Alpha’s chairman and CEO. “Layoffs are an unfortunate last resort, and it’s tough for miners that want to work but are unable to because of factors beyond their control and the company’s control.”
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise - Alpha to cut production
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise
http://www.harlandaily.com/view/full_st ... thout-work
Alpha closes Coalgood Energy; 25 without work
The Harlan Daily Enterprise
20 days ago | 3086 views | 0 | 8 | |
Nola Sizemore
Staff Writer
Coalgood Energy Coal Company has officially closed, leaving approximately 25 more people unemployed.
Alpha Natural Resources Manager of External Operations Rick Nida said the closing was due primarily to market conditions for thermal coal in the United States.
“The property is in reclamation right now and they are about to finish up,” said Nida. “The property is being returned to its approximate original condition or for whatever use the permit said the final use would be after the mine has been completed and reclaimed. You have to return the land for that use.”
Alpha Natural Resources also owns Black Mountain Resources, which is located in Benham. Nida said there are no announcements, at this time, in regard to layoffs or closure of that mine.
“The coal markets are in transition right now, especially the thermal coal markets where coal-fired generation plants are closed or planning to close,” said Nida. “This has reduced the demand for that particular product — coal.”
Nida listed three things he feels is now causing the down spiral of coal in Harlan County and throughout the United States.
“One is the low price of natural gas,” said Nida. “There has been some fuel switching. If the price of natural gas goes back up then switching may go back in the other direction. Generally, the U.S. economy has been weak so the demand for electricity from businesses and consumers has been less. Should the U.S. economy improve, businesses bounce back and consumers begin to use more electricity, then demand may increase. The third issue is regulation on coal-fired generation plants, which will cause, some studies say, as much as 20 percent of the coal-fired coal generation plants to close in the next 10 years. That’s not likely to change. If those plants get shut down, then the demand for coal will be less.”
When asked if employees losing their jobs were being offered jobs at other locations, Nida said, “Throughout the system we’ve had some reductions in force and some employees have been reassigned. I don’t believe that is the case at Coalgood Energy.”
Read more: The Harlan Daily Enterprise - Alpha closes Coalgood Energy 25 without work
