Eagle Specialty Materials completes payment of delinquent taxes owed by Blackjewel
GILLETTE — In July 2019, Campbell County faced an economic crisis when Blackjewel Mining abruptly closed, affecting nearly 600 families and leaving a significant tax burden.
This month, the county celebrated the successful completion of a multi-year commitment by Eagle Specialty Materials to pay more than $16 million of dollars in delinquent taxes that had been owed by Blackjewel.
In the fall of 2019, ESM bought and reopened the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr mines, putting miners back to work. In addition to restoring jobs, ESM entered into an agreement with Campbell County to fulfill the outstanding tax obligations that Blackjewel had left.
“We are incredibly proud of this milestone and our Eagle Specialty Materials (ESM) team is excited for the future of our operations in the Powder River Basin as well as continuing to take pride in being a part of a vibrant Campbell County community,” said ESM CEO Michael D. Day in a press release. “We want to especially thank the leadership of government officials in both the county and state who are committed to a flourishing Wyoming coal industry for decades to come. We appreciate all of their work during this process of the last five years.”
Commissioner Jim Ford said the county is grateful for ESM’s dedication to Campbell County.
“Their commitment to our community extends beyond financial obligations,” he said. “They have invested in critical infrastructure projects like the Bishop Road relocation, which will unlock significant economic potential for our region.”
The Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte mines had been owned by Alpha Natural Resources, but after that company went bankrupt in 2015, Contura, a spinoff of Alpha, bought the mines.
In December 2017, it sold the mines to Blackjewel in a transaction that had Blackjewel assume Contura’s debt associated with the mines, the News Record reported that year. Eighteen months later, Blackjewel hadn’t paid that debt and instead added to it.
Contura bought the mines in 2019 during Blackjewel’s bankruptcy sale and found a new buyer in Eagle Specialty Materials.
This story was published on December 23, 2024.