CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A judge has moved Patriot Coal's federal bankruptcy case from New York City to St. Louis.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman in New York made the ruling Tuesday. Patriot is based in St. Louis.
Chapman cited hundreds of "compelling" handwritten letters from retired coal miners. Patriot is responsible for more than 10,000 retirees and 10,000 dependents, most of them in West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio.
United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts applauded Chapman's decision, saying "nobody has ever mined one ounce of coal in Manhattan."
An $802 million financing package was approved in August so Patriot can continue operating while it restructures.
