Mar 22 Energy & Environment Blackjewel Bankruptcy Leaves Damaged Lands, Miners’ Compensation In Limbo The Blackjewel bankruptcy case has been ongoing since the summer of 2019 when Blackjewel, LLC abruptly collapsed, leaving over 2,000 miners in Wyoming, Kentucky and West Virginia without their jobs, their benefits, or their final paychecks. In protest, Kentucky miners spent much of that summer camped on the railroad tracks to the mine, blocking the […] By Katie Myers Mar 22 Energy & Environment Blackjewel Bankruptcy Leaves Damaged Lands, Miners’ Compensation In Limbo Katie Myers
Dec 21 Energy & Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal A federal bankruptcy judge has denied a petition from former Blackjewel coal executive Jeff Hoops to liquidate the company. The decision means the reorganization of the company will continue under Chapter 11 bankruptcy as former employees, creditors and state agencies seek to recover millions owed by the company. Hoops cited “permanent negative cash flow” at […] By Sydney Boles Dec 21 Energy & Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal Sydney Boles
Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO Allegations of financial misconduct by Blackjewel’s former CEO have surrounded the company’s bankruptcy case since it began last July. But a December 10 court filing lays out specific allegations against ousted CEO Jeff Hoops: webs of shell companies and secret royalty schemes that allegedly enriched Hoops at the expense of coal miners, the environment, and […] By Sydney Boles Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO Sydney Boles
Jul 24 Economy “No Pay, We Stay.” A Look Back At Miners’ Protest That Rocked Appalachia It’s a quiet, foggy morning on Highway 119 in Cumberland, Kentucky. A railroad track runs along the highway, and here, Sand Hill Bottom Road crosses the tracks and turns to the right, leaving a rough triangle of gravel spattered with trash. You can hear crickets chirping, birds twittering, cars passing on 119. A billboard advertises […] By Sydney Boles Jul 24 Economy “No Pay, We Stay.” A Look Back At Miners’ Protest That Rocked Appalachia Sydney Boles
Sep 4 Energy & Environment Idle Lands: Justice Coal Group Top User Of Loophole Allowing Mine Lands To Sit Idle Standing at an overlook on the top of Black Mountain — the tallest point in Kentucky — the wooded Appalachian mountains stretch on like a sea of green for miles. For many, this mountain is synonymous with the coal industry. It straddles the state line separating Harlan County, Kentucky and Wise County, Virginia, two communities […] By Brittany Patterson Sep 4 Energy & Environment Idle Lands: Justice Coal Group Top User Of Loophole Allowing Mine Lands To Sit Idle Brittany Patterson
Jul 10 Economy Laid-Off Employees Of Bankrupt Blackjewel Mining Seek Pay, Answers Patrick Fitchpatrick has worked at Blackjewel’s D-11 coal mine in Cumberland, Kentucky, for more than a year. He said he enjoyed the work right up until he was told not to come in last Monday. “Everything was smooth sailing and then one day it just all goes to hell,” he said. The country’s sixth-largest coal […] By Brittany Patterson and Sydney Boles Jul 10 Economy Laid-Off Employees Of Bankrupt Blackjewel Mining Seek Pay, Answers Brittany Patterson and Sydney Boles
Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Kentucky’s Attorney General said on Friday he is investigating complaints from miners who say they are not receiving pay following the fast-moving bankruptcy negotiations for Blackjewel mining, which employs some 1100 people in Central Appalachia. Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a statement he has received “numerous troubling complaints” related to the company, “ranging from […] By Brittany Patterson Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Brittany Patterson
Jul 1 Energy & Environment Major Appalachian Coal Company Files For Bankruptcy Protection In the latest sign of problems for the U.S. coal industry, one of the country’s largest coal producers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. West Virginia-based Revelation Energy LLC and its recently-formed affiliate, Blackjewel LLC, began the bankruptcy reorganization process in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on Monday. […] By Brittany Patterson Jul 1 Energy & Environment Major Appalachian Coal Company Files For Bankruptcy Protection Brittany Patterson