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Workers Compensation Expense

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

12. Workers’ Compensation Expense

The Company is liable under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, as subsequently amended, to provide for pneumoconiosis (occupational disease) benefits to eligible employees, former employees and dependents. The Company currently provides for federal claims principally through a self-insurance program. The Company is also liable under various state workers’ compensation statutes for occupational disease benefits. The occupational disease benefit obligation represents the present value of the actuarially computed present and future liabilities for such benefits over the employees’ applicable years of service.

In October 2019, the Company filed an application with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (“OWCP”) within the Department of Labor for reauthorization to self-insure federal black lung benefits. In February 2020, the Company received a reply from the OWCP confirming its status to remain self-insured contingent upon posting additional collateral of $71.1 million within 30 days of receipt of the letter. The Company is currently appealing the ruling from the OWCP and has received an extension to self-insure during the appeal process.

On January 18, 2023, the OWCP proposed revisions to regulations under the Black Lung Benefits Act governing authorization of self-insurers. The revisions seek to codify the practice of basing a self-insured operator’s security requirement on an actuarial assessment of its total present and future black lung liability. A material change to the regulations is the requirement that all self-insured operators must post security equal to 120% of their projected black lung liabilities.

The proposed regulations were posted to the Federal Register on January 19, 2023 with written comments to be accepted within 60 days of this date. Subsequently, the comment period was extended an additional 30 days.

If the above regulation is codified into law, the Company will be required to post additional collateral to maintain its self-insured status. The Company is evaluating alternatives to self-insurance, including the purchase of commercial insurance to cover these claims. Additionally, the Company is assessing the availability of surety bond capacity within the markets, additional sources of liquidity, and other items to satisfy the proposed regulations.

In addition, the Company is liable for workers’ compensation benefits for traumatic injuries which are calculated using actuarially-based loss rates, loss development factors and discounted based on a risk free rate. Traumatic workers’ compensation claims are insured with varying retentions/deductibles, or through state-sponsored workers’ compensation programs.

Workers’ compensation expense consists of the following components:



	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
	2023		2022		2023		2022

	(In thousands)
Self-insured occupational disease benefits:
Service cost	$	994	$	1,497	$	1,987	$	2,995
Interest cost⁽¹⁾		1,510		1,152		3,020		2,304
Net amortization⁽¹⁾		(241)		157		(482)		314
Total occupational disease	$	2,263	$	2,806	$	4,525	$	5,613
Traumatic injury claims and assessments		2,741		2,150		4,431		4,206
Total workers’ compensation expense	$	5,004	$	4,956	$	8,956	$	9,819

(1)

In accordance with the adoption of ASU 2017-07, “Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost,” these costs are recorded within Nonoperating expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Income Statements on the line item “Non-service related pension and postretirement benefit costs.”