Employees at the Genesis coal mine in Centertown, Kentucky received WARN notices on Thursday after the mine’s parent company, Murray Energy, filed for bankruptcy in October, according to WYMT. 

The notice states that 250 people will be permanently laid off either on February 24 or within two weeks of that date. 

“We are hoping it is going to get better here, and maybe soon,” said Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston. “But a lot of power plants have converted to other energy sources and that is going to permanently hurt the coal market. But we can still hope that the coal market can gain a better share of that energy market.”

Johnston says that the lay-offs would lower the amount of coal severance money that the county receives from coal production, approximately $2 million a year.

“Our county government and our economic development alliance are all working to try to create new opportunities for folks in our county,” Johnston explained. “I am more concerned about those individuals than I am the total economic impact on the county.”

More than 850 Tri-State miners have been affected by WARN notices since August. 

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