On Thursday, coal giant Alpha Natural Resources announced its plans to sack 1,100 coal mine workers. The lay-offs will take place at 11 West Virginia surface mines and operations related to it by mid-October.

Around 2,400 workers are employed in Boone and two mines that have 462 employees can be closed. This situation means that 462 less people having an average salary of around $85,000 would be working.

The announcement coincided with public meetings to take place this week with regard to measures by which global warming can be reduced. As part of it, discussions will also take place on limiting carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.

But as per experts, there are many other bigger challenges facing Appalachian coal. Some of them are dwindling reserves, cold market conditions and less-expensive natural gas.

National Mining Association spokesman Luke Popovich affirmed that the announcement of lay-offs is just the beginning of the impact that EPA's rule will have on coal. By 2016, states have to submit their plans on carbon-reduction.

Alpha partly blamed the EPA regulation for lay-off plans. This revelation has given birth to a chain of political finger-pointing in West Virginia. Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin affirmed that the fears over EPA's rule have become a stark reality.

"There's no question that the declining use of coal for electricity generation nationwide is resulting in less production of coal", affirmed James M. Van Nostrand, Director of Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, West Virginia University.