September 12, 2022 - Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association (NMA), today issued the following statement on the potential for a rail service strike and its impact on U.S. mining and the supply chains supported by the industry.

“We strongly encourage resolution. A rail strike could create a debilitating logistics chokepoint for the movement of energy and materials resources essential to our grid reliability and energy affordability, as well as our manufacturing sector and the energy security of our allies. Ongoing service issues continue to threaten coal deliveries, impeding the delivery of essential fuel as utilities work to shield consumers from soaring natural gas prices and build up stockpiles to ensure they have the fuel security needed for the winter. Curtailing the supply of materials essential to manufacturing will also push up costs and reverse any progress made in solving the supply chain challenges driving inflation. The U.S. has abundant mined resources, but they are dependent on reliable, efficient rail service.”