A coal company once headed by the governor of West Virginia has failed to fully reclaim a surface mine visible from the highest peak in Kentucky, leaving a large scar in view of a planned tourist attraction on the mountain.
A&G Coal Corporation agreed in January 2023 to finish reclaiming the site by Aug. 31, 2023 but has not finished the work.
The mine, called Looney Ridge, lies at the center of the view from atop Black Mountain in Harlan County, where local officials are pursuing a project to build a 40-foot-high observation tower in hopes of attracting more visitors…