The Center for Coalfield Justice Friday filed an appeal of the issuance of a coal mining permit authorizing Consol Energy to conduct longwall mining operations on 3,175 subsidence control plan acres at the Bailey Mine in Greene County.

The Department of Environmental Protection issued the permit May 1, 2014 and the appeal will be heard before the Environmental Hearing Board.

Longwall mining is a method of underground extraction that removes the entire coal seam, resulting in significant surface damage. The permit issuance allows coal mining below fourteen streams, with predicted flow loss or flow reduction in at least four streams, including North Fork Dunkard Fork, Polen Run, and Kent Run, which all flow through Ryerson Station State Park.

The permit application predicted several years of stream damage so severe that “flow loss would most likely reduce, if not eliminate fishing opportunities” in Ryerson Station State Park. It should also be noted that Duke Lake in Ryerson Station State Park is still dry due to damage from the Bailey Mine in 2005.

"First, Consol destroyed Duke Lake in the middle of Ryerson Station State Park", said Patrick Grenter, Executive Director of the CCJ. "Now, they're looking to destroy the streams that flow through the dry lake bed. When will the DEP learn its lesson and just deny the permit? How many more public lands will the state sacrifice to this company?"

In fact, the DEP has refused to issue this permit for several years because of concerns over stream destruction. Streams nearby and similarly situated to those at risk in this permit area still have not recovered from harm cause by longwall mining at the Bailey Mine, despite Consol’s attempts to restore stream flow.

The DEP has written deficiency letters and held meetings outlining the dangers of this mine proposal, yet the state still suddenly decided to grant the permit. CCJ is appealing the permit based on violations of Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act, Clean Streams Law and Environmental Rights Amendment of the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Veronica Coptis, who grew up next to Ryerson Station State Park said, “For too long the state has allowed companies like Consol to pollute, destroy and depopulate our communities. The time has come for citizens to take their constitutional rights into their own hands. If the state won't uphold their duties, then we will."

The full appeal is available online.

The Center for Coalfield Justice is a Pennsylvania-incorporated, not-for-profit organization located at 184 S. Main Street, Washington, PA 15301.

NewsClips:

Group Appeals Consol Longwall Mining Permit In Greene

Environmental Group Appeals Longwall Mining Permit

6/2/2014