Work at the Cape Breton coal mine was halted again

Workers at the coal mine in Donkin, Cape Breton, are returning to the surface for the second time in a week.

The Department of Labor, Skills and Immigration issued a release on Saturday announcing that it had ordered work to stop at the mine following reports of a rock fall.

The department says no injuries were reported and workers will return when “it is safe to do so”.

It comes after the mine’s owner, Kameron Coal, reported structural problems with roof supports in the main access tunnel last Sunday.

Although a small amount of roof material fell down, no injuries were reported. After an inspection on Monday, roof repairs were completed on Tuesday and the mine reopened.

But after another rockfall, the mine will be closed until the Department of Labor can verify that it is safe to resume work.

The mine closed earlier in March 2020 after a number of roof falls and due to what the company then described as “challenging” geological conditions.

It reopened last September but has faced additional problems since then, including warnings, orders and fines from the countyand almost two weeks closing in May after an underground fire caused by a transport system.

The Donkin Mine is Canada’s only remaining underground coal mine.