Alliance close to a decision on longwall, others get DEP permits

摘要

Alliance Coal is close to receiving a decision from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on a permit for its E long-wall mine, which will work an Upper Freeport-seam reserve in Grant and Tucker counties. Last year, the DEP rejected the first application for this mine, which is the eventual replacement for the Mettiki longwall mine in Maryland. That rejection came because Alliance could not guarantee that after the mine closed, acidic water would not leach into CON-SOL Energy's long-shut Potomac mine next door. CONSOL already has a responsibility to treat acidic water coming from that mine and any water from the E mine would only worsen the problem.