The Closure of Emerald Mine: A Case-Study on Retrenched Workers from the Coal Sector in United-States

A pervasive narrative about poverty in Appalachia, United-States, has been recently strengthened by the republican plan to stimulate coal mining. Historical poverty and the reliance on the coal sector in Appalachia underline some of the vulnerabilities, and capabilities, of the workers. This research presents a portrait of Appalachian coal workers facing the decline of the coal sector by focusing on the closure of Emerald Mine in 2015, a case study situated in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The broad research question is: how has the closure affected the workers who were retrenched, and what factors are relevant in accounting for differences in workers’ experiences? A series of interviews with miners, miner’s spouses, and public and private stakeholders bring texture to the multi-faceted reality of coal communities in Appalachia. Identifying a failure of the neoclassical economics framework in facing such complexity, the research suggests an interdisciplinary approach interested in elements like skill profiles, access to national programs, family dynamics, health coverage, and mobility. The fact that the experiences of the workers are intertwined with the transition and decline of the coal sector raises necessary questions on the tension between micro realities and macroeconomics elements such as the natural resource price cycles and the reconfiguration of the energy sector. While being focused on the micro level, this study interrogates the dichotomy between coal workers and energetic transition by opposing employment to environmental policies.