Front Porch Blog

Online tool helps track status of mine ownership in aftermath of Blackjewel bankruptcy

If Blackjewel can’t find new owners for mines, reclamation bonds may be insufficient

A contour cut at Revelation Energy’s Rush Creek coal mine in Kanawha County, W.Va. Photo courtesy of Kanawha Forest Coalition

The fate of thousands of acres of mines requiring tens of millions of dollars of reclamation was thrown into doubt when Blackjewel, Revelation Energy and affiliated mining operations filed for bankruptcy in July 2019.

If Blackjewel and Revelation can’t find new owners for mines by a court-imposed deadline at the end of the year, reclamation bonds may be vastly insufficient to clean up the mines the company was responsible for.

Appalachian Voices has created an online tool (see below) to help track the status of those mines — which have successfully completed transfer to new ownership and which remain in estate, unsold and likely to end up with their reclamation bonds forfeited.

A Bath County, Va., native, Matt uses his backgrounds in geography, GIS mapping and hydrology to help protect Appalachian communities from coal mining pollution as a member of our Central Appalachian / End Mountaintop Removal team. He's also a fantastic square dance caller.


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