Workers in limbo and uninsured as Blackjewel deal languishes

Blackjewel employees hoping to return to work still lack answers, and now lack health insurance, as the sale of the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr mines to Contura Energy languishes.

Meanwhile, uncertainty about the mines’ reopening is mounting as they enter the third month of closure. The federal government, concerned about unpaid federal mineral royalties, has yet to give its blessing to Contura’s purchase. A Wyoming landowners’ group, the Powder River Basin Resource Council, has filed a complaint with state and federal regulators, arguing Contura is out of compliance with statute for not updating its mine plans. And media reports suggest Contura may not be interested in operating the mines for long, even if it’s able to acquire them.

Roughly half of Blackjewel’s Wyoming workforce has likely found employment elsewhere, Blackjewel Human Resources Manager Brandy Elder estimated in an email to WyoFile. The company employed around 580 people at the two mines when they closed, according to federal mine employment data maintained by the Wyoming State Geological Survey.

Nationwide, the company has around 150 employees working as the bankruptcy proceeds, according to court filings.

Read more: https://www.wyofile.com/workers-in-limbo-and-uninsured-as-blackjewel-deal-languishes/