Stites & Harbison represented multiple sureties in the Horizon Natural Resources bankruptcy. The Horizon family of companies, one of the largest producers of coal in the country, held more than 425 surface and underground coal mining permits the reclamation of which was assured by over 892 individual bonds with a face value of more than $310,000,000. Stites was instrumental in identifying the magnitude of the reclamation obligations faced by Horizon, the Sureties, and the States.

Stites worked closely with the purchasers of the Horizon assets to insure that the reclamation obligations incurred by Horizon would be properly addressed to insure adequate protection of the environment as well as public health and safety. Stites was a key player in developing a reclamation plan that met the needs of multiple state agencies including the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, as well as various Federal agencies including the Office of Surface Mining. This reclamation plan had to meet the agencies needs and be feasible for purchasers of the assets who would ultimately be responsible for implementation of the plan.