According to local news, Alpha Natural Resources said Monday that it has idled the North Fork No. 7 metallurgical coal mine in Letcher County, Kentucky. About 45 employees will be laid off as a result.
Alpha said through a statement that there is no plan at this point to restart production, which started in February 2014.The mine produced 93,848 net tons of coal last year and 43,472 nt in the first quarter of 2015. The mine reportedly has the potential to produce 200,000 nt of metallurgical coal a year.