The North Antelope Rochelle Mine (NARM) is the world’s largest coal mine. It occupies about 5,344 acres 65 miles (105 km) south of Gillette in Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The mine is operated by Powder River Coal, a subsidiary of Peabody Energy. In 1999, the company combined the North Antelope Mine, (which started its operations in 1983) and the Rochelle mine (which opened in 1984), to form the largest coal mine in the United States.
North Antelope Rochelle Mine sits in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, which is the largest low-sulfur coal source in the nation. The mine produces the cleanest high quality low sulfur coal in the country with an average grade of 8,800 British thermal units per pound (20,000 kJ/kg), 0.2% sulfur, 4.40% ash, and 1.70% sodium (of the ash).
North Antelope Rochelle is a surface mine and coal mining applies the Dragline, truck & shovel / loader method. The mining process involves the use of draglines, trucks and shovels to remove the overburden. Trucks then haul the coal from the pits to trains for shipping to customers. On average, the North Antelope Rochelle mine produces 107 million tons of coal per year. It is estimated to have 1,245 million tons of recoverable reserves.
NARM mine injects around $128M into the regional economy through wages and benefits annually. It employs about 1,135 employees as of 2024. This number has been declining over the years due to a downturn in the coal industry. Recently, the mine has been experiencing operational setbacks. During the second quarter of 2020, Peabody reported a $1.5 billion loss due to the declining demand for coal, coal plant retirements, low gas prices and increased renewable energy generation. The company also states that it expects US coal generation to remain lower than in previous years. Experts express concern over the communities and coal miners’ revenue streams.
File a black lung claim
If you worked at North Antelope Rochelle Mine you must have been exposed to coal dust and silica dust. These exposures are linked to the development of black lung diseases, including Progressive Massive Pneumoconiosis (and other types of Pneumoconiosis), Chronic Silicosis (from Silica Exposure), COPD, emphysema and Asthma.
Miners suffering from black lung diseases and their survivors can file for Black Lung Act benefits through the US Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Office of Workers Compensation (OWCP) Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation (DCMWC). If you are eligible, you’ll be awarded monthly payments and medical benefits for the illness. Coal mine operators are responsible for paying for miners’ black lung diseases, and their attorneys’ fees.
Did you develop Black Lung Disease after working at The North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Campbell County, Wyoming? Contact black lung attorney Hugh Stephens to help you file a black lung claim.