The company’s decision will eliminate 213 full-time positions at the mine.
However, Arch Coal said it is working to provide the affected staff with opportunities at its other units.
Arch Coal president and CEO John Eaves said: "With this move, we are actively responding to currently challenged metallurgical coal markets while striving to enhance our overall competitive cost position in Appalachia.
"Our strategy is to increasingly shift our portfolio toward higher-margin, lower-cost metallurgical coal operations, while retaining our valuable reserves for when market conditions strengthen in the future.
"We will continue to serve our customers here and abroad with the high level of quality they have come to expect from Arch."
In the first-half of 2014, Cumberland River sold around 290,000 tons. The closure will reduce Arch’s annual 2014 metallurgical coal sales volumes by approximately 200,000 tons.
The company now expects to ship between 6.3 million and 6.9 million tons this year.
Image: Cumberland River complex sold around 290,000 tons in the first-half of 2014. Photo: courtesy of franky242 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
