Coal miners angry about a lack of pay during Blackjewel LLC’s bankruptcy are preventing a train from leaving one of its Kentucky mines, escalating tensions as the cash-strapped company scrambles to sell assets, Bloomberg News reported. A groups of miners since Monday have taken shifts blocking railroad tracks outside Cumberland, Ky., preventing a train from exiting a Blackjewel-owned coal mine, Mayor Charles Raleigh said in an interview. About 40 miners were at the tracks on yesterday, he said. Both creditors and miners have criticized the way Blackjewel has handled its bankruptcy financing, which started on July 1. A federal judge last week approved an expedited sale process for several Blackjewel coal mines, resulting in a $8.1 million down payment from Contura Energy Inc. to help keep the company afloat.
