Tunnel Ridge seeks to expand mining operations
Tunnel Ridge LLC has applied to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to revise its Tunnel Ridge Mine permit.
The company is requesting to convert 1,155.75 acres from development to longwall mining, with mining operations passing under portions of Interstate 70 and Route 40 in Washington County.
The DEP is reviewing the application, which was submitted last June, but does not have an estimate on when a decision will be made on the permit.
According to the DEP, Tunnel Ridge must obtain a State Mining Commission agreement or have a contingency plan from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and must provide notice to the DEP six months prior to performing longwall mining operations underneath any state road or highway.
A spokesperson from PennDOT confirmed that applications for longwall mining have been submitted, and said work is expected to take place within two years in west Washington County, around the Claysville area.
In the application, Tunnel Ridge proposes to longwall mine portions of four panels under I-70.
Tunnel Ridge is currently longwall mining in West Finley Township, but the operator is not permitted to longwall under I-70, according to the DEP.
According to PennDOT, the PennDOT’s District 12, which encompasses Washington, Fayette, Greene and Westmoreland counties, first experienced longwall mining under Interstate 79 in Greene County in the summer of 1982. Since then, longwall mines have advanced underneath one of the district’s interstates 24 more times over a 27-year period from 1982 to 2009.
Additional Tunnel Ridge Mine panels are expected to pass under I-70 nine times between 2019 and 2038.
PennDOT noted in a blog post that when longwall mining occurs, the interstate can be expected to settle about two to five feet in some areas.
The Center for Coalfield Justice launched an online petition QAMt2RigOUujIX0GIKl-GA2 asking the State Mining Commission to provide an opportunity for residents to share their concerns, either by holding a public meeting and/or accepting written comments through E-Comment. The petition also asks the mining commission to provide increased traffic control and signage in the area impacted by Tunnel Ridge mining.