A Jefferson County coal mine will close, citing President Barack Obama's policies and a "war on coal."

OhioAmerican Energy Inc., Murray Energy's plant in Brilliant, was created in 2007 and expected to stay open for 10 years. It will now close after five years of operation. About 50 employees will be affected.

Gary Broadbent, senior attorney and media coordinator for Murray Energy, released this statement:

"We decided to close this mine due to the regulatory actions of President Barack Obama and his administration's 'war on coal' which caused OhioAmerican Energy Inc. to incur significantly higher costs of mining, extreme difficulty in obtaining permits and lost coal markets."

According to the news release, more mining jobs in the nation are expected to be lost.

Ryan Murray, vice president of Murray Energy, said other coal companies throughout the United States will also be forced to shut down operations, citing Obama's "war on coal" as the reason.

OhioAmerican founder Robert E. Murray visited the mine and announced the layoffs to his employees in person. Company officials said those employees will eventually fill jobs at other Murray Energy operations.