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Coal yard would disrupt wetlands
The company is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for permission to fill 2.7 acres of wetlands and 4,489 feet of streams that spill into Rocky Run to construct the yard at Enlow Fork Mine, the federal notice indicates.
To mitigate the damage, Consol is proposing to restore nearly 4,000 feet of Templeton Fork and 500 feet of an unnamed tributary.
A company such as Consol must obtain these permits from the corps when its project affects a water source protected by the federal Clean Air Act, said Kurt Weist, an attorney for Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future.
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The Oak Spring Slope and Supply Yard would impact unnamed streams that are tributaries to Rocky Run, which eventually pours into the Ohio River via Enlow Fork and Wheeling Creek.
Consol wants to have supplies ready to take into the mine at a new slope entrance that would also serve as a place where coal would be removed from the mine by conveyor, company spokesman Joe Cerenzia said.
"It behooves us to have supplies in that area," he said.
Consol also wants to build an office, warehouse, workshop, coal silos and two sedimentation ponds on the site.
The corps district engineer has determined that the project will not likely affect endangered or threatened species, the public notice indicates.
Consol also is conducting an archeological investigation on the property because of concerns expressed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission that there is a high probability the site contains prehistoric resources.
Consol also has three permit applications for the mine under review at the state Department of Environmental Protection.
One does involve the new 55-acre Oak Spring Slope and Supply Yard, DEP spokeswoman Helen Humphreys said.
The others are for a new air shaft and bore holes and stream restoration, she said.
so what'll it be? : 8/4/2009
No? Or HELL NO. We've sacrified ENOUGH for these robber barons. The entire countryside is collapsing. Now they'll be ripping up the lives of 130 some otheres to relocate gas lines for the same destructive practices of this same outfit. If they took out coal the right way, it would create MORE jobs and do NO damage. But no, that will cost them money, so they won't do that. Meanwhile, I-79 will be a tunnel under flat earth before it's over. HELL NO.
ECONOMY : 8/4/2009
in todays economic situation...i say the heck with environmental bullshi.....and move forward for the sake of jobs and cheap fuel!
Economy.... : 8/4/2009
I say the heck with you and your attitude! Consol walks all over us enough as it is!!! The do whatever they please and always have the money to buy "permission" to do so while the residents of the area, present and future, are the ones that suffer!
Coal yard would disrupt wetlands : 8/4/2009
Yeah, I'm with you on that. Since Obama is killing us to prove he can fulfill all his campaign promises, and one of his promises was to shut down coal mines, those guys should jump in there and make all the money they can as fast as they can. Who cares if they destroy everything on the surface, run our creeks, wells, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs dry! They're making money digging mines while the taxpayers and property owners get the shaft. Again. As usual. PennDot and the EPA just nod their heads and let them do whatever they want. Just send the bills to the taxpayers since we're all so brain dead.
Rachel Carson says... : 8/4/2009
Yeah! Let's save the swamps...er, I mean "wetlands". We need more wonderful swamp creatures and benefits. For instance, one can never have enough mosquitoes and the deadly diseases (malaria) they spread. Swamps are our friends....we need more of them and less coal and humans. And Consol should just close down completely around here, evil company that they are. We'd all be better off...well, all except those whose jobs and lives depend on Consol and coal. Ahh, but they could hang out near the wonderful "wetlands" and hopefully catch malaria and exit our brave, new, clean, green world. Oh, and as for taxes, yeah...Consol doesn't pay any taxes on their vast land holdings. Nor is the coal they extract taxed at all or the finished product (electricity). Nah, if they were to close up our taxes wouldn't go up at all to make up any revenue shortfalls...no sir-eee!
Coal Yard : 8/4/2009
What amazes me is that one day this whole area will be a desert, or more to the point a ghost town. Those that can afford to leave will do so, what will remain are the senior citizens, the poor, those that can't afford to leave. These people will be subjected to increased taxation but how do you get blood out of a stone. There will be no one here left to pay property taxes, so our schools will be gone. Washington and Greene county commissioners don't want to miss out on that campaign money they may get to run for office. They ignore the problems that coal mining does to our community, they are pretty much a waste of time to go to the voting booth for, but, I do every time so I have the opportunity to not vote for them, the same goes with the State Reps and Senators. It is obvious as the nation discusses the health care debate. That every elected official is bought by a corporation, it just so happens that in this area it is coal. It is time to move away from the glutteny of coal. This is accomplished by conserving energy, and reducing our use and pushing and pushing and pushing the elected thieves for green energy for southwest pa.
Coal yard : 8/4/2009
I wonder if those that dispute this project have actually reviewed the plans and entire scope of the project? Also how many additional jobs would be created to the existing 700 plus currently between the bailey Mine and the mentioned Enlow Fork Mine. Those that are against this project should evaluate the current employment record of this area, and more importantly what Consol Energy pays in taxes and more importantly how much Consol distributes to local areas, such as fire houses etcetera. Wake up people, businesses are not rushing inot the Pennsylvania business marketplace due to what reasons? taxes, taxes and regulations on businesses.
: 8/5/2009
When did he promise to shut down the coal mines?
Chicken Little Syndrome : 8/5/2009
No one is shutting down mines - the gist of it is that companies that continue to pollute for profit would be “taxed” to the point of doing it right or leaving. When companies say they would be forced to “close” what they actually might mean is they can't or won't do it right, as in theres no money in it and that is the problem with everything that lead us to where the economy tanked last fall. As for taxes, boy did our elected officials royally f-up that one – take our minerals, pollute our environment, export our resources and pay less taxes when it is gone, all for the sake of jobs. Thousands of acres “sitting on the shelf” - did ANYONE wonder what would replace those taxes lost after extraction. I suppose it really doesn't mean anything to someone outside our region. Nothing like making us TAX BROKE to put us on our knees begging for more of the same, just to stay alive a little longer (you know, to prolong the pain and give them bigger quarterly results and create more jobs to perpetuate the same) The promise of job growth is short sighted and ONLY is benefits us if they stay in the raped landscape they profiteered from. Have people forgotten the coal retreat of the 50's and what that left behind for us to STILL clean, rebuild and repopulate. So if a few drillers buy a house in town to leave in a few years later – was it the community they bought in to - mortgage in these parts is cheaper than rent – what if they bought to rent out to the rotation of transient workers - is that growth? The Extraction Industry is nothing but a big Walmart ready to move on after the tax benefits or resources run out – taking with it all its employees because they aren't trained to do anything else. Employees need to realize that when these companies tapped it out and or determine at the next board meeting it isn't profitable enough – they will move on and so will your job. The question is how much are we willing to give up to placate these companies for a few extra years of “prosperity”. We need to stop drinking their koolaid and realize the resources they want are here not in some other State. That said there should be no need to walk on eggshells when we discuss OUR collective needs about the air we breath, the water we drink or the taxes we pay. So when people talk about taxes being high they are referring to the taxes we have been left to compensate for when we bit into the donut called “promise of job growth and prosperity”
