That accident claimed the life of continuous miner operator Chad Meyers, who was pinned between the outby rib of the crosscut and the left side of the cutter head as he tried to move the machine.
Willow Lake employs 460 workers and first shipped coal in 2002. It mined 2.2 million tons in 2011.
That coal is sold to Midwest utility generators.
Peabody says it is closing the mine because it has “failed to meet acceptable standards for safety, compliance and operating performance”
It says these ongoing issues make the operations “unsustainable”
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification letters are being sent to the mine’s workforce.
Peabody expects to incur a largely non-cash, one-time charge of $40 to $60 million in the fourth quarter.
This will be primarily to write off assets, increase asset retirement obligations and accrue severance.
It expects little effect on ongoing earnings from the closure.
