Contura Energy continues to pursue permit to mine coal at Foundation Mine
WAYNESBURG – Contura Energy Inc., the company that acquired the core assets of Alpha Natural Resources in bankruptcy in July, is continuing with the process to permit the coal reserves for what was to be Alpha’s new Foundation Mine in Holbrook.
Cumberland Contura LLC, a Contura Energy affiliate, published a notice Tuesday indicating the change in ownership of the reserves on the state mining permit application that was earlier filed by Alpha for the project.
The company also states in the notice the project will now be permitted as an expansion under its Cumberland Mine mining permit.
“These reserves were a part of the asset purchase Contura Energy completed in late July from Alpha Natural Resources and requesting a change in ownership permit is the next step in that process,” the company said in an email response for comment.
“Assuming the permitting process is completed for these reserves, any future mining activities would depend upon market conditions,” the company said.
John Poister, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the company provided notice in the ongoing permit application process to reflect the ownership change and to indicate it would like the coal reserves to be considered as a revision to Cumberland’s mining permit.
The permit application is now in the review stage, Poister said. A final decision regarding the application is still several months away, he said.
Contura Energy was formed to purchase the core assets of Alpha as part of Alpha’s bankruptcy reorganization plan.
In Greene County, those assets include the Cumberland Mine and the Emerald Mine properties as well as the reserves for Alpha’s proposed Foundation Mine and its proposed Freeport Mine.
Alpha had continued with the permitting process for the Foundation Mine while it proceeded through bankruptcy and held a public meeting on the permit application in May at Rogersville fire hall.
The notice for the permit application published for the ownership change and to designate the project as an expansion under Cumberland’s permit included no other changes to the permit application notice published by Alpha earlier.
The notice indicates the company is seeking to permit 9,438 acres of coal in Center, Jackson and Richhill townships for development mining with the intent of later applying for a permit to longwall mine the same coal.
The plans also call for the construction of new surface operations on the west side of Route 18, south of Bristoria Road. The 25.4-acre site would include a shaft, utility boreholes, bathhouse, water retention pond and parking area.
In a handout provided at the public meeting, the company said it estimated mining in the 9,438-acre permit boundary would continue for 15 to 20 years. The company also has additional coal reserves south of the proposed permit area that could be mined later.