Blackhawk Mining LLC and its subsidiaries have idled three underground coal mines and two preparation plants in Logan and Mingo counties, West Virginia, due to weak global coal markets and drop in prices. The operations included the Washington underground mine, Muddy Bridge underground mine, Buffalo underground mine, Fanco preparation plant, and Mingo 1 preparation plant and Mingo 2 (Scaggs) loadout.
The mine issued Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notices to 342 employees. The company said employees are encouraged to apply for open positions elsewhere within the company.
Permanent workforce reductions associated with the WARN notice are expected in early December, according to the company.
The company is also idling operations at the No. 8 underground mine, a contract mine in Mingo County, West Virginia.
Blackhawk filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 19. At that time, the company said it had “sufficient liquidity to continue normal mining operations, pay employee wages, healthcare and other benefits, and pay vendors and suppliers for all goods and services.”
