Home » James River Coal furloughs 525 workers at three Kentucky mines

James River Coal furloughs 525 workers at three Kentucky mines

The coal mines of the James River Coal Company in Kentucky are shown here.
The coal mines of the James River Coal Company in Kentucky are shown here.

RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 25, 2013) — James River Coal Co. has idled coal production at three of its Kentucky operations, resulting in approximately 525 full-time employeesbeing furloughed.
Locations affected by the furloughs include the McCoy Elkhorn mines and prep plants in Pike County, the Bledsoe coal mines and prep plants in Leslie and Harlan counties, and the Long Branch surface mine in Johnson County.

The Virginia-based company, which is one of the leading coal producers in central Appalachia, cited “continued weakness in the domestic and international coal markets” and said the anticipated date to restart operations is unknown and would be subject to the coal market.