The Bailey Coal Mine is located in Graysville, Greene County, Pennsylvania, about 45 miles from Pittsburgh. The mine began operations in 1984 under MSHA ID: 3607230, with 108.2M tons of assessable coal reserves. It is the oldest coal mine at the Pennsylvania Mining Complex (PAMC), which consists of three mines located mostly in Pennsylvania and partly in West Virginia. Other mines that make up part of the Pennsylvania Energy Complex include the Harvey Mine and Enlow Fork Mine.
Bailey Coal Mine is operated by Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company, a subsidiary of Consol Energy. Initially, Consol Energy owned the Pennsylvania Mining Complex. Later, the company spun off Consol Coal Resources (CCR) to operate the mining complex for a few years before reacquiring the subsidiary in 2020.
The Bailey Coal Mine has a depth of 600-1,000 ft. Its production unit has 2 longwalls and 7 continuous mining sections. For many years, it has remained the largest coal mine in North America producing an average of 12.7 million tons of coal annually. In 2018, it produced 12.73 million short tons of coal and 12.22 million tons in 2019. Bailey Coal Mine is also the most productive underground mine in the country, on a tons per employee hour (TPEH) basis. As of 2019, the mine had accessible a recoverable coal reserve of 115.3 million short tons, with an average heat content of 12,890 Btu/lb and sulfur content of 4.36 lbs SO2/MMBtu. It supplies bituminous thermal coal to Detroit Edison and Santee Cooper’s coal, among others.
The mine reuses tons of wet coal waste from washing and processing in the Complex’s centralized coal processing facility. Also, the power plant emissions are captured in a deep underground carbon dioxide storage hub. The U.S. Department of Energy issued the Pennsylvania Mining Complex a grant for a project on carbon-capture technology or clean burning of coal. The projected power plant is scheduled to become operational in 2027 or 2028.
The mine employs about 455 miners. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020/21 resulted in a 2-week shutdown of the Bailey Mine after two employees tested positive for the virus. The pandemic also led to a decline in the demand for coal across U.S. Coal mines, resulting in some shutting down and laying-off miners.
File a Black Lung Claim
Do you believe you suffer from a respiratory illness due to working at Bailey Coal Mine? Exposure to coal dust increases the risk of developing black lung diseases, which include Coal Worker’s Pneumoconiosis (CWP), emphysema, silicosis, and bronchitis. Miners infected with coal lung illnesses and their survivors can file for Black Lung benefits. Eligible coal miners receive monthly payments and medical benefits which include prescription drugs, in-patient and out-patient services, and doctors’ visits. Other medical services are also provided with a doctor’s prescription, such as home oxygen and other medical equipment, home nursing services, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Miners do not pay for any attorney fees as coal mine operators are responsible for compensation and attorney fees for successful claims.
Contact black lung claimant attorney Hugh Stephens to help you file a black lung claim or assist you with the claim’s process if you have respiratory problems resulting from your coal mining employment.