The Century Mine was an underground[1] coal mine in Belmont County, Ohio owned by American Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of Murray Energy.[2][3] It was the last remaining mine in the county[4] before it was shut down in 2022.[2][5] The mine produced around 5 million tons of coal per year.[6] Unlike other mines in Ohio, Century Mine used longwall technology that enabled it to operate with relatively fewer workers.[4] The mine had applied for a permit to extend operations by five years in 2017 and expected reserves to last for another 35 years.[6]
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Century Mine | |
| Location | Beallsville,[1] Belmont County |
| State | Ohio |
| Coordinates | 39°53′41″N 81°01′24″W / 39.8948°N 81.0234°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Bituminous coal[1] |
| Type | Underground[1] |
| History | |
| Closed | June 15, 2022 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Murray Energy |
Century Mine was the site of a fatal accident in 2011[7] and another in 2013.[8] In 2010, the Mine Safety and Health Administration fined Murray Energy $173,987 for safety violations at Century Mine. The company challenged the fine, lowering the amount to $102,373.[9]
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a rally at the mine on August 14, 2012, as part of his campaign. The mine was shut down for the day, causing workers to lose pay.[10][11] The company and the Romney campaign blamed each other for the closure.[10] A group of miners complained to a local radio talk show that they were forced to attend the rally and feared they would be fired otherwise. Company officials confirmed that they had told workers attendance was required. Still, they later maintained that attendance was voluntary.[10][11] The Romney campaign agreed that attendance appeared to be voluntary. In response, the Democratic group ProgressOhio filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, which began an investigation that was later dropped.[12]
In 2015, the mine was temporarily idled. According to the company, this was due to "new EPA regulations and the increased utilization of natural gas". The mine's sales were not affected.[3] Out of 650 workers, 425 were laid off for two weeks.[13]
The mine was shut down on June 15, 2022. The mine issued a WARN notice stating that all 106 workers would be permanently laid off at the time. They were not part of a union and did not have bumping rights.[2][5][13] State and county job services mobilized to provide workers with new employment opportunities.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Mine Data Retrieval System". Mine Safety and Health Administration. n.d. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Cooley, Patrick (May 24, 2022). "Belmont County mine once owned by Murray Energy to close". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Westfall, Bob (May 14, 2015). "American Energy Corporation Idles Century Mine in Belmont County, OH". WTRF. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Funk, John (April 30, 2017). "Coal-rich, but job-hungry, Appalachia waits for Donald Trump to deliver". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Lynch, John (May 4, 2022). "Belmont County mine closing; Layoffs will be permanent". WTRF. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Matyi, Bob (August 15, 2017). "Murray seeks to extend Century mine in Ohio". S&P Global Market Intelligence. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Fasouletos, Michael; Sperry, William; Angel, Jim; Gauna, Michael (n.d.). Final Report - Fatality #13 - August 8, 2011 (Report). Mine Safety and Health Administration. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Preece, Jim; Thomas, Franklin; Wilt, Andy (n.d.). Final Report - Fatality #20 - November 23, 2013 (Report). Mine Safety and Health Administration. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ Koff, Stephen (May 5, 2013). "Ohio coal mines fight, and win routinely, against hefty federal fines". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Vardon, Joe (August 29, 2012). "Romney's visit to mine controversial". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Eaton, Sabrina (August 28, 2012). "Coal miners lost pay when Mitt Romney visited their mine to promote coal jobs". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Eaton, Sabrina (July 27, 2015). "Feds end probe of Murray Energy coal rally for Mitt Romney". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c Defrank, Robert A. (May 5, 2022). "Century Mine To Close in June; More Than 100 Jobs To Be Lost". The Intelligencer and Wheeling News Register. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2023.