Municipal News
- Last Updated on Thursday, 09 May 2013 02:42
At their April 15 meeting, with the help of residents’ feedback, the Nottingham Board of Supervisors discussed their intent to finalize the conditional use application for Ram Farms, LLC (Ramaco), who wants to operate a deep mine to extract coal in the northeastern section of the township.
A public hearing on the matter was held on April 1, and it is the board’s intent to take action on the conditional use application at the May 6 regular meeting.
Many concerns have been raised about the proposed mine including noise, proximity to homes, environmental impact, issues regarding use and disposal of water, truck traffic, hours of operation, and mine subsidence. The Lexington, KY- based company, that acquired mining rights to the 72-acre parcel for $5 million as the result of a bankruptcy court settlement and will operate the mine, was only incorporated in 2011. Since the company is so new, it obviously has no track record of safely and successfully mining coal.
It is interesting and ironic to note, however, that the president of Ramaco, LLC is Michael Baursachs, who was formerly a vice president of planning for Massey Energy Company. Massey operated the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia. That mine was the site of the worst U.S. mining accident in 40 years. In 2010, a coal dust explosion occurred because of toxic buildup of gases due to improper ventilation, which caused the death of 29 miners. The aftermath caused the company to go out of business and included a Department of Justice fine of $220 million due to the company’s willful negligence. Individual criminal liability issues relating to the deadly explosion continue to this day.
It states on its Ramaco’s website, www.ramacollc.com, that they plan to mine 7.8 million tons of coal from their Nottingham Township site, “but the reserve amount could increase if the entire seam is mined.” The company has indicated publicly that their plan is to mine coal here for 10 to 12 years, but the supervisors seem to be correct in speculating that the venture could last much longer than that.
Ramaco calls the mining site MonView, obviously referring to the defunct company that operated on the site a decade ago and ended up in bankruptcy. The coal seam is what remains of the old Mathies Mine reserves. Ramaco’s plan is to access the seam at an anticline off Little Mingo Road, and then seal the old mining works behind them. Along with a portal, the company plans to construct a gob pile, bath house and facilities related to loading coal. The website also states that an advantage of this mining site is its closeness to the Monongahela River and railway transportation.
The company plans to wash the coal at the mine’s old refuse site, and they acknowledge that “water effluent standards will be difficult to meet without a R.O. (reverse osmosis) treatment plant”. Still, website bullet points say that their plan is to “use PA-DEP water outlets”. The last point on their web summary is that they plan to “belt coal directly to old MonView dock site” on the Monongahela River after it is washed.
If it is indeed their plan to wash the coal at the refuse site located between Finleyville and New Eagle, it will have to be trucked there. Supervisor Doug King estimates that “70 loads per day is probably an understatement.” King said that when he spoke to State Rep. Rick Saccone at the public hearing, Saccone expressed doubt that PennDot would even give Ramaco a permit to use Little Mingo Road, which is fairly narrow and not in that great of shape to begin with.
Reports from the company have indicated that this mining venture won’t begin for at least several years, but residents who live close to the mine are anxious about it now. Several said that they even plan to voice their concerns with the Ringgold School Board about the possibly dangerous effects of coal truck traffic upon school students waiting for school buses along the truck routes.
Board Chairman Pete Marcoline encouraged residents to continue to suggest conditions for Ramaco’s application, which can be included up until the board takes action upon it on May 6. The company will then have to decide to accept or reject the conditions. If they reject them, the company will have the option to take the township to court.
Supervisor King is concerned about how the state DEP will rule on Ramaco’s plans to mine in Nottingham. He said that it is his understanding that the company has been in contact with DEP has not yet submitted a formal application.
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