November 8, 2025 - A coal company majority-owned by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., is set to face a contempt hearing for its failure to meet cleanup obligations at three long-abandoned surface mines in Wise County.

A&G Coal Corp. is scheduled to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m., to address its noncompliance with a 2023 consent decree.

The consent decree was a legally binding agreement designed to ensure the timely reclamation of nearly 5,000 acres at the Looney Ridge Surface Mine #1, Canepatch Surface Mine and Sawmill Hollow #3 Mine.

According to court documents, A&G has missed multiple reclamation deadlines and has not paid penalties owed to the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, a local watershed organization. The company also mined coal at all three sites despite the decree’s prohibition on mining after deadlines were missed.

The agreement resolved A&G's violations under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and Virginia mining laws. It was reached by A&G and environmental groups including Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club, and included financial safeguards for surrounding communities and waterways.

A&G, which is majority-owned by Sen. Justice and managed by his son, Jay Justice, claims it lacks the funds to complete the required reclamation work but has provided little evidence to support that claim.

The hearing will take place at the federal courthouse at 180 W. Main St. in Abingdon, Virginia.