In a press release obtained by the Southern Illinoisan earlier this week, the operation will not be permanently closed, but rather reduced to a skeleton staff of eight who will maintain the property.

 

The operation’s board said it is reviewing its options after encountering financial distress. Potential actions, according to the report, include putting the mine up for sale; however, the company added, “although the future is uncertain, Liberty’s options could result in future resumption of coal mining operations.”

 

The sudden announcement has left the nearly 200 workers with anger and questions. “They laid us off without any notice whatsoever, and we want to know if they are going to honour the WARN Act [Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act], if this is permanent,” Tom Ellis told the Illinoisan.

 

Ellis, the president of the local union for the mine, said he attended a meeting held by mine officials but didn’t receive any answers. “It’s very frustrating and disappointing for the people who are in limbo. They wouldn’t answer a single question one way or the other on anything we asked,” he said.

 

He added that the union’s legal team is investigating the situation to see if a regulation requiring a 60-day advance notice of staff reduction at an operation exceeding 100 workers was violated.

 

Liberty was the former Brushy Creek Mine; its state and federal funding was obtained in 2001.