COAL CRUSHING: Coal producer Alpha Natural Resources Inc. said Wednesday it lost $2.2 billion in the second quarter on charges for restructuring and the declining value of some assets. But even without those charges, its loss was larger than Wall Street expected.

BIGGER PICTURE: The coal industry has been battered this year by cheaper natural gas, mild weather, recession in Europe and a slowdown in once red-hot Asia. Alpha mines coal used for power generation and steel.

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THE RIGHT-SIZE: Alpha is idling plants that are either too expensive to run or produce coal that is considered lower grade and in less demand, laying off employees and renegotiating the terms of its debt.