Air Quality Mine, based near Monroe City, Ind., began production in 1993 after construction of a slope entry and preparation plant near Wheatland. The Hart Street portal opened in 2003, approximately four miles from Vincennes to increase ventilation and decrease the travel time for mining the western reserves. In 2006, the south portal and preparation plant were integrated into the Air Quality Mine.

 

The underground mine has approximately 50 million tons of reserves in the Indiana No. 7 and Springfield No. 5 seams. The mine sold 1.6 million tons of low sulfur coal in 2009 to electricity generating and industrial customers in Indiana and Illinois.

 

Air Quality Mine has a workforce of approximately 225 people. Currently, mining is conducted by two split-ventilation production units. The raw coal is conveyed via a 10-mile underground conveyor system to the preparation plant for crushing and processing. The south plant has a feed rate of 550 tons per hour.

 

Air Quality Mine is a Peabody Energy operation. Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in clean coal solutions. With 2009 sales of 244 million tons and $6 billion in revenues, Peabody fuels 10 percent of U.S. power and 2 percent of worldwide electricity.