MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Mining Association (AMA) on Tuesday announced that Brookwood’s Warrior Met Coal, Inc. is offering $25,000 to any individual who provides information to which directly leads to an arrest and conviction of the responsible individual(s) for an attack against natural gas pipelines that occurred in the early morning hours of Thursday, March 24, 2022.
Federal authorities continue their investigation into the damage believed to be related to the use of an explosive device along Hannah Creek Road in eastern Tuscaloosa County. Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office directly at 1-205-326-6166 or through their website at www.tips.fbi.gov or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) through the ATF Tip Line at 1-888-283-8477.
The suspected use of explosives and subsequent damage to the natural gas pipelines owned by the Company, endangered the health and safety of members of the public, employees, and first responders. The incident forced authorities to close portions of Hannah Creek Road near Brookwood throughout the morning.
Concerning the serious nature of the events, D’Andre Wright, spokesperson for the Company, commented “Warrior Met Coal and its subsidiaries have always focused on the safety of our employees and the communities in which we live and operate. We believe today’s attack on our pipeline facilities was related to the ongoing labor dispute.
As a critical infrastructure industry, it is imperative we protect our assets from acts of violence and vandalism to ensure public safety. While no injuries are known to have occurred, the threat to lives and property posed by this irresponsible and illegal attack is tremendous. We are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation and expect those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Patrick Cagle, president of AMA, called on all members of the mining community to condemn the attack.
“No one who shares the values of Alabama’s 21st century mining community would participate in, stand by, or stay silent about this dangerous, inexcusable attack,” Cagle stated. “Today’s events should be universally and categorically denounced. The mining industry prides itself on prioritizing safety above everything else, and this attack is ultimately an attack on what we stand for.”
The mission of the Alabama Mining Association is to promote the safe and sustainable mining of the natural resources that strengthen our infrastructure and grow our economy.