CONSOL Energy Inc. (CNX) has issued notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of a layoff at its Fola Operations near Bickmore, West Virginia. The layoffs are expected to impact nearly 318 employees at the Fola complex and would occur during a 14-day period beginning at 12:01 a.m., on Thursday, August 30, 2012. Surface, reclamation, underground, and general office staff would be affected and were officially briefed on the situation yesterday and today.
The company sees production in 2012 to be reduced by around 800,000 tons. To date in 2012, the Fola complex has produced 1.05 million tons of coal. Annual direct estimated economic impact of the Fola Complex is $165 million.
CONSOL Energy attributed the idling of its Fola operations to a combination of market conditions and increasing pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency, resulting in both increased costs of surface mining and significant uncertainty for the company's power generation customers concerning the continued use of Central Appalachian coal.
For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com