Wellmore idle notice marks more than 200 coal mining jobs gone since April
More than 200 coal miners have either been laid off or their jobs have been permanently eliminated with the closure of mining operations in Southwest Virginia in the last five months.
The latest is in Buchanan County where United Coal’s Wellmore Energy Company will idle more than 70 miners by October, according to postings with state employment officials.
Virginia coal operations employed 2,500 workers two years ago, cutting the industry workforce in half compared with 2013 numbers.
(IMAGE: FILE)