ITMANN, W.Va. (WCHS) — Wyoming County officials said they'll be on pins and needles for the next 60 days to see if threatened layoffs for 200 miners and coal preparation plant workers happen.

The workers have been warned by Core Natural Resources that layoffs and shutdowns could hit Aug. 1.

The Itmann No. 5 mine and the coal preparation plant looked busy Wednesday, but the company has notified employees of potential layoffs.

Wyoming County officials who depend heavily on coal severance tax to fund the county said as of Wednesday afternoon, they had not received their required warn notice of the company might idle the mine, which reportedly produced about 400,000 tons of met or coking coal last year.

While that’s a substantial amount of coal, it’s only about half what Core wanted to ge

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