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Inside Energy (http://insideenergy.org/2016/07/27/life-after-coal-one-miners-story/)

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Arch Coal

Life After Coal: One Miner’s Story

By Stephanie Joyce, Wyoming Public Radio | July 27, 2016
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Stephanie Joyce/Wyoming Public Media

Frank Thompson was laid off as a mechanic from Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle mine in April 2016.

Frank Thompson was laid off as a mechanic from Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle mine in April 2016.

Stephanie Joyce / Wyoming Public Media

Frank Thompson is a single dad from Douglas, Wyoming. He was laid off from Peabody Energy’s North Antelope Rochelle mine in April 2016.

On April 1, 2016, Frank Thompson lost his job as a mechanic at Peabody Energy’s North Antelope Rochelle mine. He was one of almost 500 coal miners laid off that day by Peabody and its competitor, Arch Coal. At the time, Thompson, who is a single dad, was most concerned about what being laid off would mean for his son.

“He’s seven years old, so he kind of sees it as some time to hang out,” he told Inside Energy’s Stephanie Joyce. “But I don’t think he really realizes that this could be us moving away from here.”

Three months later, Thompson still isn’t sure what the future holds, but he’s trying to stay in Wyoming. We caught up with him at a park in his hometown of Douglas.

Click the orange arrow to hear Frank Thompson, in his own words.

What’s next?

  • Listen to the story we reported in April about the mass layoffs at Wyoming’s coal mines.
  • Check out all of our recent coal coverage in the series Coal Watch 2016.
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Related Series

Coal Watch

Coverage of the coal industry in transition, both spots and features.

Future of Coal

The coal industry in this country is under threat. Since 2012 nearly 60 coal-burning power plants have partially or completely shut down. But the dirty fuel still supplies 40% of our power and is critical, proponents say, to maintaining the reliability of our electricity infrastructure. We want to know: What is the future of coal in the United States?

Tags
  • Audio
  • Inside Energy News
  • Making Energy
  • Arch Coal
  • Coal
  • coal miner
  • layoffs
  • Peabody Energy
  • powder river basin
  • Wyoming

Read Next

  • Coal Dependent School Budgets In Crisis

    Cheaper natural gas has dealt a blow to the coal industry — and to Routt County school district. Before the district opened an all-day preschool in the small town of Yampa, there wasn’t an affordable day care program for this mostly working class community. When Peabody Energy, owner of Routt County’s Twentymile Mine, went into bankruptcy and failed to pay property taxes, it would have been the first thing to go. But the school district hasn’t let that happen.

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Peabody Reaches Deal With Regulators On Outstanding Reclamation Obligations
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Coal Dependent School Budgets In Crisis
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