Corsa Coal announces closure of mines, impacting over 300 Pennsylvania employees

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — Hundreds of coal mine workers in Somerset County could soon be out of work.

The Corsa Coal Company submitted a layoff notice to the state that impacts more than 300 employees.

Just eight years ago, there was such excitement for the mines’ opening that President Donald Trump sent a video message for the event, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe was in attendance.

Now, Corsa Coal filed this bankruptcy in federal court in January.

According to the PA Department of Labor and Industry’s website, the company operating as Wilson Creek Energy notified the agency it is laying off a total of 332 employees.

What will happen to those mines is currently up in the air, as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette is reporting Corsa Coal will first bring in a liquidation company to appraise equipment.

It went on to report that a bankruptcy court hearing will be held where the decision will be made.

We talked to the President of Rosebud Mining out of Kittaning, he says he plans to bid on three Corsa Coal assets.

Director of the Somerset Board of Commerce, Ron Aldom, says that there is no question that this closure will have impact on his county and the region.

“At this point, there’s no real definitive answer. I know that there’s other coal companies looking at what’s potentially coming here, potentially re-employing all these people,” said Aldom. “But again, it’s still, there’s no definitive answer out there yet. We hope to hear something.”

Aldom also said that, “The loss of jobs on a personal end, it’s rough. They can’t replace that kind of income overnight.”

The chief executive officer of Corsa Coal said in a press release that this decision to seek bankruptcy protection is one that weighed heavy on the Corsa Board of Directors, but the company believes that it is the best decision of action to preserve and maximize value for stakeholders and to preserve jobs of Corsa group employees.

We also reached out to the state’s department of environmental protection. The agency spokesperson says the DEP is monitoring the bankruptcy proceedings and continues to inspect Corsa Coal’s operations to ensure compliance with all applicable environmental laws.