News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Armstrong to Halt Production at Ohio County Coal Mine and Lay Off More Than 100 Workers

Armstrong Energy Inc. website

A coal company that operates five mines in west Kentucky is planning to halt production at its Ohio County mine.

More than 100 workers have been notified that they will lose their jobs before the end of the year.

Armstrong Coal said it will idle its ‘Equality Boot Mine’ located near the city of Centertown after seven years of surface mining at that location. The Ohio County mine is part of Armstrong’s production in what’s called the Illinois Basin in west Kentucky.

Armstrong said on its website that idling of the mine is due to “market overproduction and a sustained depression in the demand for high sulfur thermal coal produced by the mine.”

The company issued required notification of the planned layoffs to 61 employees at the mine and 49 workers at the Armstrong Prep and Dock Facility. The layoffs are scheduled to occur between December 8th and December 22.

The coal company said the action is part a restructuring of its debt.

Rhonda Miller began as reporter and host for All Things Considered on WKU Public Radio in 2015. She has worked as Gulf Coast reporter for Mississippi Public Broadcasting, where she won Associated Press, Edward R. Murrow and Green Eyeshade awards for stories on dead sea turtles, health and legal issues arising from the 2010 BP oil spill and homeless veterans.
Related Content