BY MIKE NOLTING
A large coal mining operation south of Waynesburg, Pa., is not closing despite reports it was.
Iron Senergy said in a written statement that the reports of the closure of the Cumberland Mine are false.
Company officials did acknowledge there was a recent extended closure due to safety and logistical concerns created by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The statement referred to the March 20 shutdown as safety-related.
“Workers at the Cumberland Mine were sent home as a result of elevated methane levels detected in the Cumberland Mine. Those workers will be called back to work when Iron determines that the Cumberland Mine can be operated safely and compliantly.”
The statement goes on to describe concerns about demand and the ability to move the coal from the Port of Baltimore, when sufficient modes of transportation are made available by Iron’s customers to reduce inventory levels and justify mining activities to resume. Iron fully expects to resume production soon, as previously planned.
West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton said the loss of access to the Port of Baltimore seals the suppliers off from customers.
“There’s some fragility in the business and incidents like these have an impact on short-term and long-term plans,” Hamilton said.
United Mine Workers of America spokesperson Erin Bates said the company statement does not address a letter sent to the Mine Health and Safety Administration Wednesday that said, “upon completion of the 77 Longwall Panel, all longwall equipment will be extracted.” She said the letter further indicated that the mine would be sealed.
The 77 Longwall Panel is the active portion of the Cumberland Mine, according to Bates.
The company statement also said an annual evaluation has been conducted each year since December 2020 to evaluate personnel and the long-term commitment of their customer base.
“The UMWA should not confuse that evaluation and the related planning activities related thereto with a decision to permanently close the Cumberland Mine at any particular time,” the company said Friday.
Iron officials cited holiday travel schedules as the primary reason there has not yet been a meeting between Iron and UMWA leadership.
The statement from Iron said the company and its owner, Justin Thompson, have invested more than $130 million since December 2020 to extend the life of the mine and reopened the former Emerald Mine that was closed in 2015, adding a new frac-sand transloading facility. Iron officials also said the company has added 100 workers and donated more than $3 million to local charities.
Hamilton concurred with the company statement that many improvements have been made since Iron took ownership to extend the life of the operation.
“You have a mine operator in place up there that took the mine that was on the verge of closure and he’s been able to transform that mine to a productive and active operation,” Hamilton said.
