In a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing issued late last week, the company said the water was found behind two seals during a regular examination March 7. The area of the mine received heavy rainfall last week.
The company evacuated Rivers Edge and immediately alerted the US Mine Safety and Health Administration. Federal officials subsequently issued an imminent danger order for the excess water conditions, which the operator is contesting.
No injuries were reported as a result of the condition and Patriot expects the mine to return to production early this week.
The company issued no further public comment on the incident.
Imminent danger orders are issued by MSHA under section 107(a) of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act, also known as the Mine Act.
Section 1503 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act, amended last July, requires disclosure of all imminent danger incidents as part of new reporting requirements regarding mine safety.
Rivers Edge is part of the Wells complex in southern West Virginia and produces from the Powellton seam.
Patriot Coal operates 14 mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin, and controls about 1.8 billion tons of proven and probable coal reserves.
