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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Coal situation monitoring system: baseline report. [Base line data before expected strike]

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6658084

The contract between the United Mine Workers of America and the Bituminous Coal Operators Association and the Western Surface Mine Wage Agreement expired December 6, 1977. Coal stock levels maintained by utilities and industry and the future rate of consumption and non-WMWA production will largely determine the impact of a strike on these sectors. Estimates for average days supply of coal on December 6, 1977 varied from six weeks to nearly three months. Due to more-limited stocks, the general (non-utility) industry was expcted to hit first and hardest by a lengthy coal strike. Industrial consumers would be affected sometime before eight weeks, with production cutbacks and layoffs. The severity of the impact would depend upon the availability of supplies from residual production. The states (on the basis of available data on stock, consumption rates, and dependence on UMWA-controlled coal) that appeared to be most vulnerable to a strike are listed.

Research Organization:
Department of Energy, Washington, DC (USA). Energy Information Administration
OSTI ID:
6658084
Report Number(s):
DOE/EIA-0003
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English