The production of coal in the state of Ohio managed to decline somewhat during 2011. However, industry employment actually managed to increase. The information was provided in a state report that was released earlier on in the week, according to The Marion Star.

During the month of November and specifically the presidential elections, there was a lot of discussion on coal, especially since it has been an energy source in the state of Ohio for such an extended period of time. One report in 2011, the Report on Ohio Mineral Industries, sowed that the product of coal decline that year by a total of 1.5 percent. Even with the small decline, the number of people employed within the industry continues to remain high, and is typically as high as it was back in 2000.

While this may seem like good news, the CEO for Oxford Resource Partners, Chuck Ungurean, says that change is coming within the coal industry. Ungurean said, “I would say it’s definitely not going to go up, employment or production.” He also said, “I think we’re going to be lucky to stay where we’re at.”

The company that Ungurean is CEO of is actually responsible for running a large number of coal mines, more than any of the other companies in the state. He says that even if the company will be lucky to stay where it is at, there still have been no plans made to put any employees out of work. In the meantime, Robert Murray, the president for Murray Energy, said that there would be a total of 156 employees put out of work. Even with the layoffs, none of them would be taking place in the state of Ohio.

It is believed that the decline in the demand for coal will begin in the state of Ohio. Ohio uses a lot of coal, more than most of the other states across the country. During the month of August, a total of 72 percent of the energy used in the state was coming from coal plants. It is also believed that the air quality in the state of Ohio is terrible because of the toxic chemicals that are released into the air during the process of receiving energy from coal.

There are quite a few different coal plants in the state of Ohio, which managed to increase during 2011. The number of coal plants across the nation also managed to increase as well. There is also an international interest for coal, which means that even if the demand declines in the United States, the demand for coal will still be there.

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