Hearing to be held on Consol mine expansion
Plans to expand Enlow Fork Mine will be under public scrutiny next week.
Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC, a subsidiary of Consol Energy Inc., wants to add 3,704 acres for underground mining and buffer areas for subsidence control. It submitted an application for the expansion to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
A decision on Consol’s plans, however, will not be made until after the permitting process is completed. It will begin with an informal public conference from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 2 at the South Franklin Municipal Building.
The acreage in question is in South Franklin, Buffalo and East Finley townships.
“Informal conferences are for people who have concerns and who, in this instance, can talk with people from the DEP and Consol,” said John Poister, spokesman for the department’s Southwest Regional office. “People can ask questions, and if they have concerns and want them on record, they can present them orally or written (to the DEP).”
Poister said information provided for the record will be included in the reviewing process, the final step before approval or rejection of the application.
He added that the hearing was requested by four environmental-related organizations (Chartiers Creek Watershed Association, Buffalo Creek Watershed Association, Izaac Walton League and Center for Coalfield Justice) and the owners of three private properties (Michael and Jodie Landis; Mark and Susan Mason; and John and Robin Ireland).
“We’re expecting a pretty good turnout for the meeting,” Poister said.
The area of planned revision is called North Development II. Lynn Seay, director of media relations for Consol Energy, said the expansion would be north toward Interstate 79 from what are called the E and F panels.