Dugger residents concerned over coal company’s bankruptcy.
The announcement that Peabody Energy Corp. was filing for bankruptcy has made residents nervous in the small western Indiana town where the company operates the Bear Run Mine.
While the coal company says normal operations are expected to continue, some residents say they’re worried Dugger will become a ghost town if the mine closes.
The company says the bankruptcy filing is intended to reduce its overall debt level, lower fixed charges and improve operating cash flow. But resident Marlene Lux tells the (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star that all 10 of the people she knows who work at the mine are nervous about job security.
The company says Bear Run, which opened in 2010, contributes more than $165 million annually to the regional economy.
More than 500 people work around-the-clock shifts there.