AN EASTERN Ohio-based company is mining more jobs for local residents.

Rosebud Mining Co. unveiled plans this week to break ground on its new Vail Mine in Freeport. The announcement is a dose of good news to both the Harrison County economy as well as the local work force.

The mine in scheduled to open this coming April.

When it does, some 50 new jobs will be coming with it. That number could double if the mine operations open an additional section, which has been discussed.

We have long held the belief that the renaissance of the Ohio Valley economy is directly tied to coal mining. The steel industry is ailing and will never regain its past strength in the job market.

Coal mining, meanwhile, has shown more resiliency and with new clean-coal technology is showing renewed vigor. That is reinforced by the plans mapped by Rosebud Tuesday.

Projections indicate that for a 25-year lifespan for the new Rosebud mine would yield $1.4 billion worth of coal. That is a major shot in the arm to the local economy.

The long-range picture is even brighter.

The new Vail Mine could prove a forerunner of two or three more mines that company officials say may be developed in Harrison County. Rosebud lays claim to 15,000 acres in the Freeport-area alone.

Should that scenario come to fruition, the financial benefits would be bountiful and wide ranging.

We can only hope such a mining boom does take place in Eastern Ohio. It could spawn an economic resurgence not otherwise possible.