On Monday, Cumberland Coal Resources LP, a subsidiary of coal company Alpha Natural Resources, temporarily suspended production at its Cumberland underground longwall mine in Greene County, Pennsylvania due to adverse geological conditions in the mine's headgate area.
While mine employees work to mitigate the conditions that halted operations, the mine is on idle status as of July 15, and coal shipments have ceased. Cumberland's management currently anticipates that it will be at least several weeks before production resumes. During this period the mine will maintain a reduced workforce of employees who are key to bringing the longwall back into production.