At least 150 coal workers were laid off this week as two of the state's largest producers cut back due to the declining market. Peabody Energy officials confirmed Thursday that the company was laying off 65 workers from mines in Cibola and McKinley counties and San Juan Coal Mine in Farmington laid off 85 salaried and hourly workers.
Peabody spokeswoman Beth Sutton says the cuts come as the coal market continues to struggle. The two affected mines produced 6.4 million tons of coal in 2015, 2 million tons less than in 2013.
The San Juan Coal Mine was recently acquired by Westmoreland Coal Co. This is the second round of cuts at the mine in the past few months. Westmoreland officials did not respond to requests for comment.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
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