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Hundreds of W.Va. mines workers warned of layoffs

By WTOP Staff

DANVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — Patriot Coal Corp. is warning hundreds of miners at its southern West Virginia operations they could be laid off.

The St. Louis coal company says federally required warning notices were issued Tuesday to 360 workers at its Corridor G mining complex near Danville.

Patriot spokeswoman Janine Orf said the warnings do not necessarily mean all 360 will be laid off at the end of the 60-day period.

Previous layoffs in Danville have already reduced the Patriot workforce there by nearly 100.

In a statement, Patriot President and CEO Bennett K. Hatfield said increasing federal regulations, mild summer weather and low natural gas prices have slashed thermal coal prices, in some cases below operating costs at Appalachian mines.

The Danville mining complex produced 2.3 million tons of thermal coal in 2013.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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