Patriot decides to close troubled W.Va. coal mine due to failing roof conditions

Patriot decides to close troubled W.Va. coal mine

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Patriot Coal says it’s permanently closing a valuable West Virginia mine.

St. Louis-based Patriot says it decided Monday to abandon the Harris No. 1 mine near Wharton. The mine was idled in mid-June by a cave-in that damaged its main conveyer belt.

Patriot says it decided Monday that the roof was so bad it was closing the mine immediately instead of next year as planned.

The shutdown figures to hurt financially. Harris produces metallurgical coal worth up to $235 a ton to steelmakers, and Patriot had warned Wall Street its second-quarter results would reduced by the temporary shutdown. The company did not elaborate Monday.

Federal records show about 170 people work at the Boone County mine, which produced 619,701 tons last year.