That leaves about 450 employees impacted by the suspension in operations at the Greene County operation, spokesman Ted Pile told media outlets.

He said the 150 who would remain on payroll during the temporary stoppage in Waynesburg would focus on the main problems at the longwall headgate.

On Monday, hours after idling production, the Virginia-based company confirmed repairs would take “at least several weeks”

In the meantime, all coal shipments from the mine have ceased.

The idle is the second in just three months for the thermal coal operation.

On April 8 the US Mine Safety and Health Administration issued a federal imminent danger order to the mine for elevated methane levels and ordered a stop to operations.

The mine, which extracts from the prolific Pittsburgh 8 coal seam, was reopened about two weeks later.