Dirty Illinois Coal Revived by Mining Deaths, Obama Crackdown

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Illinois coal, once considered too dirty to be burned by utilities, is on the rise after the worst U.S. coal disaster in 40 years. The April 5 blast at Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, killed 29 workers.

“The coal mine has always paid a good salary for doing very dangerous work,” Carlinville Mayor Robert Schwab said on a recent humid afternoon. “I just hope everything goes well.”

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St. Louis-based Peabody Energy Corp., the nation’s largest coal producer, holds the most reserves in Illinois. Arch and Alpha Natural Resources Inc., the second- and third-biggest coal companies, respectively, have expressed interest in Illinois deposits to circumvent the safety and regulatory challenges in the eastern U.S.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=awWF6E8AJgXs