South Fork Coal Idles Mines, Will Be Liquidated Instead Of Sold

A bankrupt coal company that operated in Greenbrier County will not be sold after all. It will be liquidated.

Unable to execute a reorganization or find other buyers, South Fork Coal has idled its operations and furloughed its remaining employees.

The company will be liquidated, or sold to its creditors, according to a filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware last Friday.

South Fork’s operations were contested by numerous conservation groups because of its use of U.S. Forest Service roads in the Monongahela National Forest.

The federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement determined that the company had the right to haul coal and machinery over the roads.

The conservation groups also noted that South Fork racked up dozens of violations of its permits and polluted waterways that support endangered species habitat and recreation.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Appalachian Mountain Advocates sued the Forest Service early last year. The case is ongoing.