The order, signed by Judge Amul R. Thapar of the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky, requires Freedom Energy to take certain actions to comply with a recovery plan that will ensure the health and safety of miners who continue to work at the mine as they dismantle and remove mine equipment in preparation for permanent closure.
In addition to the immediate withdrawal provisions, Freedom Energy must provide timetables for activities involving removal of all mining equipment. The highest level management official, including the mine superintendent, must be available at the mine during each working shift to review and countersign the results of each pre-shift, on-shift and weekly examination performed by a certified mine examiner. Miners idled as a result of any withdrawal covered by this order must receive pay for the period during which they were idled up to one week. For periods longer than one week, the company must offer alternate equivalent work within a 60-mile radius of the mine.
