MCOAL applies for 2nd & 3rd revisions of ASMC permit
Black Warrior Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke warned in July 2009 that MCoal would acquire a primary permit with the least offensive procedures, then apply for revisions that were easier to obtain — though more offensive. Imagine: the river keeper’s predictions have come true.
APPEAL AND REVISIONS
In the Fall of 2009, the Southern Environmental Law Center submitted an appeal of the Environmental Management Commission (EMC) to Montgomery Circuit Court on behalf of Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Friends of the Locust Fork. Nevertheless, MCoal applied for a revision of their permit from Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) in July and then again for a third revision on August 25.
REVISION 2
Revision 2 of ASMC Permit 3931 will include a Coal Separator:
Mine facilities proposed by Revision R-2 include the FGX-12 dry coal separator plant with associated conveyors systems, surge/feed bins and raw feed/clean coal yards. Changes and maintenance such as enlargement and additions to these facilities may occur from time to time as deemed necessary by mine superintendent.
This plant will be constructed on the south face of Cornelius Mountain.
An additional 13 acres will be incorporated with sediment basin's 041P and 042P in Singelton Hollow.
REVISION 3
This third revision will include a coal washer and slurry ponds.
A coal washer in Kentucky
The washing process consists of several stages of chemical and physical cleaning before the coal can be sold. Up to 60 different chemicals, some of which aknown carcinogens, can be used in the coalwashing process. The refuse from the washing process is known as slurry and is a combination of huge amounts of water, rock, soil, chemical cleaning agents and several heavy metals including nickel, cadmium, and mercury.
SLURRY PONDS
All of this industrial waste is placed behind huge dams. These slurry ponds, as they are known, can contain millions of gallons of toxic material, and are an order of magnitude more dangerous than the earlier-permitted sediment ponds. Such dams can fail from any number of causes: rain, general dam failure, earthquakes, construction inadequacies, foundation failures, mechanical failure or drainage obstruction.
The proposed slurry pond would be located on the southern face of Cornelius Mountain.
slurry pond in West Virginia
See what wikipedia says about slurry ponds
Read an article in the Washington Post about slurry ponds
FUTURE PLANS
Even more alarming are the plans that MCoal revealed to their investors. Following is an excerpt from MCoal’s presentation to investors:
The Rosa Coal mine becomes the platform for future acquisitions and showcases MCoal’s operational and engineering capability. As a permitted producer, MCoal becomes a very credible consolidator “buyer” of the other targeted properties.
MCoal intends to increase production to 2+ million tons per year through strategic acquisition of 100 million tons of metallurgical coal reserves in the next 3 years. The next potential acquisition with 20 million tons of reserves and 250,000 tons per year of current production is at an advanced stage of evaluation but will require additional capital to complete. MCoal plans three phases, with each phase divided into increments. Mining is currently in Increment one of Phase 1.
This map shows their 3-phase plan for Rosa.
Click here to see a larger version of this map
It appears that Phase 2 includes:
- auguer mining of the mountain south of Hwy 231
- auger mining of the mountain between 5 Points South Road and Hwy 231/ Hwy 79
- auger mining of Tater Knob
- the north face of Berry Mountain
- strip and auger mining of Andy Branch Hollow
- auger mining of the south face of Berry Mountain
Phase 3 seems to include underground trench mining of all of Berry Mountain with an entrance off Mountain Gap Road.