According to the Bismarck Tribune, Westmoreland issued a notice to the city of Beulah that the cuts will commence in early March and should be completed by the end of April. Citing Dakota Westmoreland President Jody Mann said the layoffs will happen in phases: 10 workers on March 10, 46 on March 18 and the final 39 on April 30.
“We sincerely regret this layoff has become necessary,” he added.
The mine’s power customer, the nearby Coyote Station power plant, will begin to take its coal supply from new North American Coal complex Coyote Creek Mining in May. Coyote Creek, owned in part by Otter Tail Power and MDU, is located just southwest of the Dakota Westmoreland complex.
Dakota Westmoreland, which had a workforce of 145 at its peak, will keep 40 miners on staff to mine the remaining coal — about 500,000 tons annually — that it is contracted to deliver to the MDU-Heskett Station through 2021.
