WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — The Viper Mine coal facilities near Elkhart and Williamsville have permanently ceased operations, and a local official expressed surprise at not being informed sooner.

On Thursday, Williamsville Village President Mark Esker announced that the coal plant had begun demolition and officially closed on September 4. The timeline for completing the demolition process of Viper Mine remains undetermined.

The mine had been providing coal to the Springfield area over the course of the last 40 years.

According to City Water, Light, and Power (CWLP), the closure was first announced to the public in November 2024 when the Springfield City Council approved a new coal supply agreement with Foresight Coal Sales LLC for Dallman 4. However, Esker mentioned that he only became aware of the closure a few months ago when news surfaced about severance packages for laid-off plant workers.

Coal supplier Knight Hawk Coal owns the Viper Mine in Elkhart. Efforts by WCIA to gather more information by contacting the Viper Mine plant’s phone lines were unsuccessful as both numbers were disconnected.

WCIA also contacted Thomas J Hasenstab II, Vice President of Engineering & Development at Knight Hawk Coal, but did not receive an immediate response.