Latest Mining Headlines
All the headlines from our Mining Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Record Number of Miners Being Diagnosed with Black Lung Disease
Dec 21 2016 // New data show many more coal miners across Appalachia suffering from the most serious form of black lung disease than federal regulators previously reported. National Public Radio reported Friday that its investigation...
$160M Claim Filed by Navajo Nation Over Mine Spill
Dec 7 2016 // The Navajo Nation has submitted a claim of more than $160 million in damages to the federal government over last year’s mine waste spill that fouled rivers in three western states. A cleanup team led by the U.S....
Brazil Charges 21 with Homicide for Failing to Avert Samarco Mine Disaster
Oct 24 2016 // Brazilian prosecutors charged 21 people with qualified homicide on Thursday for their roles in the collapse of a tailings dam at the Samarco Mineração SA iron ore mine last November that killed 19 people. The charges...
Arch Coal Agrees to Fund Mine Cleanups to Exit Bankruptcy
Sep 19 2016 // U.S. coal miner Arch Coal has agreed to set aside collateral to cover future mine cleanup costs as part of its bankruptcy reorganization plan, according to a court filing, ending its controversial use of...
Arch Coal Ends Self-Bonding, Agrees to Fund Future Mine Cleanups to Exit Bankruptcy
Sep 13 2016 // U.S. coal miner Arch Coal has agreed to set aside collateral to cover future mine cleanup costs as part of its bankruptcy reorganization plan, according to a court filing, ending its controversial use of...
Brazil’s Prosecutor Expected to Seek Criminal Charges over Samarco Mine Disaster
Sep 2 2016 // Brazilian prosecutors are finalizing a criminal investigation into the Samarco mine disaster and expect to ask a judge by the end of September to charge employees, one of the prosecutors heading the case said. The...
Brazil Mine Disaster Caused by Poor Drainage & Design of Tailings Dam: Report
Aug 30 2016 // The deadly collapse of a tailings dam last November at the Samarco mine, owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton, was caused by drainage and design flaws, a report into Brazil’s worst-ever environmental disaster showed on...
$6M Settlement Reached for West Virginia Coal Mine Cleanup
Aug 23 2016 // A $6 million settlement has been reached in federal court that will restore damage from West Virginia mountaintop removal mines. The Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy...
U.S. Regulator Vows Changes to Mine Cleanup Program
Aug 18 2016 // A leading U.S. coal regulator announced plans on Tuesday to toughen what it called “out-of-date” rules for guaranteeing mine cleanups. The Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement said it would...
Mining Company Settles with Feds for $143M Cleanup
Aug 12 2016 // The federal government and state officials have reached a settlement with Chevron Mining Inc. that calls for $143 million in cleanup work at a Superfund site in northern New Mexico. The company will conduct a pilot project...
Peabody Reaches Coal Mine Cleanup Deal with 3 U.S. States
Aug 8 2016 // Peabody Energy Corp., the largest U.S. coal producer, reached a deal to cover mine clean-up liabilities while in bankruptcy with three U.S. states, court documents showed late last month. Peabody has benefited from a...
Peabody Reaches Coal Mine Cleanup Deal with 3 U.S. States
Jul 28 2016 // Peabody Energy Corp., the largest U.S. coal producer, reached a deal to cover mine clean-up liabilities while in bankruptcy with three U.S. states, court documents showed on Tuesday. Peabody has benefited from a federal...
Regulators Say Kentucky Mine Operator Negligence Caused Fatal Accident
Jul 25 2016 // Federal regulators have concluded that a Harlan County coal mine operator’s negligence resulted in a miner’s death earlier this year. A report issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration found that Lone...
West Virginia to Receive $524K in Grants for Mine Safety Courses
Jul 12 2016 // The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training will receive more than $524,000 in federal funds for training courses aimed at reducing mining accidents, injuries and illnesses. The Mine Safety and...
Alpha Natural Resources Reaches Deal with U.S. to Exit Bankruptcy, Clean-Up Mines
Jul 8 2016 // The U.S. government agreed to a mine clean-up deal that allows coal producer Alpha Natural Resources to exit bankruptcy, despite concerns that Alpha will be unable to fund $400 million in commitments, a government lawyer...
BHP to Fight $6B Civil Claim over Brazil Mining Disaster
Jul 1 2016 // BHP Billiton on Friday said it would appeal against the decision by a Brazilian court to reinstate a $6 billion public civil claim over last year’s Samarco iron ore mine disaster. BHP and 50-50 joint-venture partner...
West Virginia, Alpha Natural Reach $300M Mine Cleanup Deal
Jun 13 2016 // West Virginia environmental officials say they struck a $300 million-plus deal for mine cleanup with bankrupt coal giant Alpha Natural Resources. The Department of Environmental Protection said the agreement would cover...
Jim Justice-Owned Mine Cited by Kentucky Regulators for Mudslide Damage to Homes
Jun 9 2016 // Kentucky regulators have cited a company owned by coal operator Jim Justice for conditions that they say contributed to a mudslide and flooding that damaged six homes in Pike County. Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet...
U.S. to Hear Concerns Over Coal Mines’ Self-Bonding
May 20 2016 // The United States is considering whether to reign in a subsidy on coal mine cleanup costs and in so doing shield taxpayers from those liabilities, a leading regulator for the mining industry said on Wednesday. The program,...
Massachusetts Mine Operator to Pay $180K to Resolve Safety Violations
May 12 2016 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced Wednesday a global settlement with Worcester Sand and Gravel Company Inc., of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, to resolve citations and...
