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Coal company lays off 130 Boone County miners

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Coal River Energy on Tuesday announced the layoffs of 130 coal miners and other workers at the Alum Creek mine in Boone County.

Boone County’s Assistant Administrator Pam White said that Coal River had issued WARN notices in August that 280 miners could be out of jobs.

White said that 94 Coal River workers were not part of the layoff. Fifty-six other workers retained their jobs, but were reassigned to new positions within the company.

“I know that in September mine owner Jim Bunn came to our commission meeting to let the commission know that there were problems,” White said. “He said he didn’t know what was going to happen. I think he was giving a warning to the miners without saying anything.”

The layoffs have hurt Boone County as well as coal miners and their families, White said. The latest announcement is no help.

“It’s already affected us pretty badly,” she said. “Our coal severance tax is a third of what it was four years ago…

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