Owners of Cape Breton’s Donkin coal mine permanently close underground operation – by Canadian Press (Victoria Times Colonist – March 30, 2020)

https://www.timescolonist.com/

DONKIN, N.S. — A troubled underground coal mining operation in Cape Breton has been permanently closed by its In a statement released Monday, Kameron Collieries ULC said it was ceasing production operations at the Donkin mine due to “adverse geologic conditions.”

The company said the mine would not be sealed and would be maintained by a small staff to ventilate the facility and keep it free of water.

“The mine has been closed,” company spokesman Paul McEachern confirmed in an interview. “There are no plans forthcoming to extract more coal from Donkin.” In its statement, Kameron Collieries expressed disappointment at the turn of events for a mine that had only begun operations in February 2017.

“The company … wishes to thank its dedicated workforce and the local community who supported this important investment in the region,” it said. McEachern said about 100 mine staff are being laid off while about five workers are being kept on to maintain the mine. He said the workers were being informed Monday morning.

The move comes after a section of the underground mine experienced two roof collapses within a two-week period last month — no one was hurt in either incident.

For the rest of this article: https://www.timescolonist.com/owners-of-cape-breton-s-donkin-coal-mine-permanently-close-underground-operation-1.24108797