Even With Trump’s Orders, an Uncertain Future for Pennsylvania’s Coal MinersEven With Trump’s Orders, an Uncertain Future for Pennsylvania’s Coal Miners
An anthracite coal mine in Maizeville, Pa., on March 3, 2022. As the coal industry declines and automation advances, the future of its workforce remains uncertain. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Even With Trump’s Orders, an Uncertain Future for Pennsylvania’s Coal Miners

While federal support may keep some power plants open, natural gas, steel uncertainty, and population decline are the main threats to Monongahela Valley coal.
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WAYNESBURG, Pa.—In a roadside clearing, a young man in boots, jeans, a black hoodie, and a black cap emerges from a trail to sit on a flat-topped boulder.

He is startled to see that he is not alone on this warm, overcast Easter afternoon in the woods just north of the Pennsylvania–West Virginia state line.

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