Coal company owned by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice faces contempt hearing for failure to meet cleanup obligations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 7, 2025

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org 

ABINGDON, Va. — A&G Coal Corporation is set to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. The hearing will address the company’s ongoing failure to comply with the legally binding terms of a 2023 consent decree.

The agreement was designed to ensure timely reclamation of nearly 5,000 acres across three long-abandoned surface coal mines in Wise County — Looney Ridge Surface Mine #1, Canepatch Surface Mine and Sawmill Hollow #3 Mine.

To date, A&G has missed multiple reclamation deadlines and has not paid the penalties owed to the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, a local watershed organization. In addition, the company mined coal at all three sites despite the decree’s prohibition on mining after missed deadlines.

The consent decree — reached by A&G, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club — resolved the company’s violations under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and Virginia mining laws. It established a clear timeline for restoring the land and put financial safeguards in place to protect surrounding communities and waterways.

A&G, which is majority-owned by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and managed by his son Jay Justice, has claimed it lacks the funds to complete the required reclamation work but has provided little evidence to support this claim.The hearing will take place at the federal courthouse, 180 W. Main St., Abingdon, Virginia.