Alpha Natural Resources announced a plan Friday morning to cutback on coal mining at its operations in Kentucky. Alpha says it will close four mines and idle two coal preparation plants in Pike and Martin Counties. Alpha says it's making the move due to continued market pressures and new regulations on coal-fired power plants that make production from certain mines in those areas uneconomical. The moves will reduce thermal coal production by six million tons through the end of 2013. The changes will impact 436 of its workers in Kentucky, 150 of them losing their jobs in 60 days. The other workers will be offered jobs at Alpha sites in Kentucky, southern West Virginia and Virginia. Alpha Chairman and CEO Kevin Crutchfield says utilities are expected to burn the least amount of steam coal this year than in the last 20 years. Some utilities are switching coal-fired power plants to natural gas.
