CONSOL will restart Blacksville mine on Monday
CONSOL training Blacksville No. 2 miners to resume work Monday for 1st time since March fire
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- CONSOL Energy Inc. says it's got federal approval to restart its sprawling Blacksville No. 2 coal mine with the morning shift on Monday.
The operation straddling the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border was evacuated March 12 after smoke began pouring from a shaft in Wayne Township, Pa.
The fire was extinguished March 21, and CONSOL has been working to safely resume production. The mine employs about 500 people and typically produces about 400,000 tons of coal a month.
Jimmy Brock is CONSOL's chief operating officer for coal. He says the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration signed off on 21 newly constructed seals at the mine on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the company conducted safety training to prepare for the restart so workers are familiar with changes underground and in the mine's ventilation plan.
