Archive for category Mat Valley Coal

Great News on the Wishbone Hill Coal Fight

Jul 25

Posted by foms in Conservation Advocacy Program, FoMS News, Mat Valley Coal, Uncategorized | Comments off

PRESS RELEASE:  7/24/2012

July  23,  2012
For  Immediate    Release
Contact:

Jeremiah  Millen  Executive  Director,  Friends  of  Mat-­‐Su    (907) 746-­‐0130
Kirby  Spangler,  President,  Castle    Mountain  Coalition,  (907) 746-­‐3733
Bonnie  Zirkle,    Business  Owner,  Moose  Creek  Community  (907) 745-­‐7777


Office of  Surface  Mining  Protects  Mat-­‐Su Communities  from  Unpermitted  Coal  Mining  

Agency  decision  ensures  that  laws  to  protect  public  safety    and  the    environment  are    followed    

Palmer,  AK    -­‐-­‐    In  response  to  a  citizen  complaint,  the  Federal Office  of  Surface   Mining  (OSM)    issued  a  preliminary  decision    and    determined    that  Usibelli’s  permits  for  the  Wishbone  Hill  Mine  are    likely  not  valid.    As  a  result,  the  company  has  been  operating   in  violation  of  Alaska  law.

 “This  is  a clear  affirmation  that    the  State  and  Usibelli  Coal  Mine  Co.  have  not    been  doing  their  due    diligence  to    protect  the  health    of  our  communities,”  said    Tim  Leach,    Conservation    Director  for    Friends    of  Mat-­‐Su.  “More  than  3,000  people  have  voiced  their  concern  about  the  potential  impacts  of    this    coal  mine,  and  finally  someone  is  taking  the    steps  to  let  Usibelli    know  they  are  not  above  the  law.”

Since    June  2010,  Usibelli    has  been  conducting   mining  activities  at  Wishbone  Hill  while  informing  the    public  that    the  mining  project    is  fully  permitted.  However,  the  company  lacked  the  most  important    permit  —  the  permit    that    allows  them  to  mine.  That    means  the  company  has  been  operating   in    violation  of  state  and    federal  law.  After  efforts  to    get  the  Alaska  Department  of  Natural  Resources  to    step    in    and    remedy  the  situation,  concerned  citizens  and  groups  sent    a  letter    to  OSM  asking  them  to    step  in.

“This  shows  that  these  big  coal    companies  don’t  care  about  following  the  laws,    which  are  meant    to  protect  us,”  said  Kirby  Spangler   with  Castle  Mountain    Coalition.     “I’m  glad  OSM  is  looking  out    for  our  communities    and  our  public    health,  especially    with  new  international  companies    coming  into    our  Valley  to  mine  coal.”

The   Wishbone  Hill  project  would  be  the  first  coal    strip  mine  in  Alaska  attempting  to  operate    in  the    middle  of  a  residential  neighborhood.     Communities  throughout  the  Mat-­‐Su    are  concerned  about    public    safety,    noise  and  light  pollution,    toxic  coal  dust,    and  impacts  to  property  values  from  a    coal    mine.

“My    family    has  firsthand  experience   dealing  with    the  coal  industry,”    said  Bonnie  Zirkle,  local  resident    and  business  owner.      “We’ve  seen  the  way  that  Big  Coal    comes  into  town  and  pits  neighbors  and    families  against    each  other.     Hopefully  our  community  can    reunite  and    move  forward    toward    a  coal    free  future.”

To read a copy of the letter from OSM to DNR click here.

 

 

 

DEC public Workshop on Restructuring Air Permits Program-May 18

May 15

Posted by foms in Mat Valley Coal | Comments off

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be holding an upcoming a public workshop to discuss the Air Permits Program restructuring and the status of outstanding regulatory actions. Click here for the public notice.

Usibelli Mine Company Challenged for Mining Illegally

May 2

Posted by foms in Conservation Advocacy Program, Mat Valley Coal | Comments off

May 2, 2012

For Immediate Release

 

Usibelli Mine Company Challenged for Mining Illegally

Groups seek to protect Mat-Su families from dangerous coal mine

Palmer, AK – As the summer work season approaches, local groups have taken action to hold Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc.  responsible for mining without a valid permit at Wishbone Hill. The Wishbone Hill project would be Alaska’s first coal strip mine to operate in the middle of a residential neighborhood.  Communities throughout the Mat-Su are concerned about public safety, noise and light pollution, toxic coal dust, and impacts to property values. Today’s lawsuit follows unsuccessful attempts by the groups to compel state and federal agencies to enforce the prohibition against unpermitted mining.

“The fact that is has taken so long for the agencies to address our concerns lead us to believe that the complaint has merit,” said Kirby Spangler, President of the Castle Mountain Coalition.   “Thousands of residents have voiced valid concerns and we don’t want to continue waiting on regulators as another construction season approaches.”

According to state and federal law, mining permits expire automatically if the permit holder fails to begin mining within three years, or fails to secure an extension of that deadline. A company first acquired permits for mining at Wishbone Hill in 1991. Those permits expired in 1996 when the company had not begun mining and had not secured an extension. But since June 2010, Usibelli has started operating at Wishbone Hill: constructing the haul road, clearing vegetation and logging, and beginning to stockpile topsoil.  In the more than 20 years that have passed since the permits were first issued, the region surrounding the mine has changed drastically, becoming a residential community.  In fact, the access road joins the Glenn Highway directly across from a local elementary school.

“My family has firsthand experience dealing with the coal industry,” said Bonnie Zirkle, local resident, hunting guide and business owner.  “This coal project is already impacting the property values in our community. Coal is dirty and dangerous to the water, air and health of our community.”

“If Usibelli Coal Company wishes to be a responsible company and good neighbor they must follow the rules, including the most basic- obtaining a valid permit to operate,” Said Jeremiah Millen, Executive Director of Friends of Mat-Su.   “We believe the scale and location of what is being proposed at Wishbone Hill will result in negative impacts to local residents, property values, fish and wild life habitat and overall quality of life throughout the valley.  We look forward to working with the agencies and the company when and if they obtain valid permit.”

###

Recent Media Coverage:

http://www.adn.com/2012/05/02/2449217/groups-file-suit-to-halt-usibelli.html

http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/18436057/article-Groups-seek-halt-to-coal-mining-near-Sutton-?instance=home_news_window_left_bullets

http://www.frontiersman.com/news/lawsuit-seeks-to-halt-wishbone-hill-mining-operations/article_80a9f86e-94a6-11e1-b90b-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/28cb67281932448ab69cf22a2c19626b/AK–Coal-Mine-Lawsuit/

http://www.postcrescent.com/usatoday/article/39197645?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs

http://www.coshoctontribune.com/usatoday/article/39197645?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs

 

Free Presentation: Toxic Health- Coal and Your Health

Feb 7

Posted by foms in Community Events, Mat Valley Coal | Comments off

 

Coal Impacts on Human Health- Free Teleconference- Wednesday, February 15th 9-10 AM (Alaska Time)

Jan 31

Posted by foms in Conferences and Workshops, Mat Valley Coal, News | Comments off

Please join Alaska Community Action on Toxics for a discussion with Alan H. Lockwood, MD on the growing body of medical evidence linking coal development to human health risks.

At every stage – from mining,transportation, storage, combustion, and disposal of post-combustion wastes – coal development threatens human and environmental health. Pollutants from coal damage all major organ systems in the human body and contribute to four of the five leading causes of death in the United States. 

Dr. Lockwood, Professor of Neurology at the University of Buffalo, is a member of Physicians for Social Responsiblity and is principal author of the PSR medical report “Coal’s Assault on Human Health” which takes a new look at the devastating impacts of coal on the human body. Coal combustion releases mercury, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health. This report looks at the cumulative harm inflicted by those pollutants on three major body organ systems: the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system.

To join this free call and receive the dial-up instructions, please RSVP to Alaska Community Action on Toxics at heather@akaction.org or (907) 222-7714.

The World According to Chuck- Wishbone Hill Cartoon

Jan 17

Posted by foms in Mat Valley Coal, Uncategorized | Comments off

Reprinted from Frontiersman Website:
Legge, Chuck, The World According to Chuck, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, website, Friday, January 13, 2012, Url: http://www.frontiersman.com/opinions/cartoons/the-world-according-to-chuck/image_bc7b655a-3e5f-11e1-bb7e-0019bb2963f4.html

 

Usibelli Coal Mining Company Operating Without Valid Permit

Jan 9

Posted by foms in Mat Valley Coal, Uncategorized | Comments off

Usibelli Coal Mining Company Operating Without Valid Permit

Mat-Su Residents Ask Usibelli to Stop Operating Until the Company Obtains a Permit that Protects the Valley and Its Residents

Palmer,  Alaska.  In an effort to protect their families, their property, and the community, residents of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley sent a letter to Usibelli Coal Mining Company today asking them to stop operations at the Wishbone Hill site because the company does not have a coal mining permit.

“The development of the proposed Wishbone Hill coal mine will have lasting negative impacts on property values, air and water quality, wildlife, recreational access, public safety, and future economic opportunities for Mat-Su residents.  A residential neighborhood is simply no place for a coal mine, ” said Jeremiah Millen of Friends of Mat-Su, a local planning organization representing residents across the Mat-Su Borough and a signatory of the letter.

According to the law, Usibelli does not have the necessary permit to mine at Wishbone Hill.  However, since the summer of 2010, Usibelli has been engaged in illegal mining activity at Wishbone Hill. Residents hope the company will immediately stop all mining operations until it obtains a permit that ensures that the Valley and the community are protected.  If Usibelli refuses to do so within the next sixty days, residents intend to go to court to protect themselves and the Mat-Su Valley.

“Usibelli Coal Company is not a good neighbor,” said Kirby Spangler, president of the Castle Mountain Coalition.  “How can I trust a company that is mining without a permit? How can we be sure that they are protecting our water, wildlife, and community if they aren’t following the law?”

Many federal and state agencies have begun to question the accuracy of Usibelli’s permit applications.  The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation required Usibelli to resubmit their Air Quality Permit Application twice because of inaccurate information. In addition, the Federal Office of Surface Mining recently got more involved with the project.

This action comes of the heals of the Alaska Mental Health Trust selling about 11 square miles of land in Chickaloon to a massive Australian Mining company.

Citizens Allege Usibelli Coal Breaking the Law in Mat-Su

Nov 28

Posted by foms in FoMS News, Mat Valley Coal, News, Uncategorized | Comments off

Days like today remind us of the 80s when big hair bands like Judus Priest released smash hits on an album called “Breaking The Law.”  Today in Palmer, local citizens fighting the controversial Wishbone Hill coal project have sent a letter to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources alleging that Usibelli Coal Company has been operating illegally and without a valid permit and should be ordered to halt project development.

 

 

 

To view a copy of the letter to DNR click here

Help us send a message  to Usibelli that coal mining in the Mat Su Valley will harm residents, lower property values, and destroy our way of life.

 

 

Mat-Su Residents Show Up in Full Force to Speak Out Against Wishbone Coal Mine to Department of Natural Resources

Nov 17

Posted by foms in FoMS News, Mat Valley Coal | Comments off

 

The Wishbone Hill coal strip mine in the Matanuska Valley has become increasingly controversial as Usibelli Coal Company takes steps to fully develop the mine in the middle of a residential community. On Tuesday, hundreds of citizens attended a public hearing hosted by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about Usibelli’s mining plan and permit renewal application to raise concerns about property values, coal dust issues, recreational access concerns and community impacts.

“Over the past year we have heard from thousands of Mat-Su residents who oppose the development of the Wishbone Hill strip coal mine and the negative impacts it will have on property values, air and water quality, wildlife, recreational access, and public safety. A residential neighborhood is simply no place for a coal mine and there are 128 residences within one mile of this project. The Governor and state agencies should take action and provide the leadership needed to protect our communities,” said Jeremiah Millen , Executive Director of Friends of Mat-Su, a local planning organization representing residents across the Mat-Su Borough.

The permit renewal application that Usibelli submitted contains out-of-date and inaccurate information, similar to their air quality permit application that the Department of Environmental

Conservation has asked them to resubmit twice. “As community members, we have a responsibility to speak up to protect our neighborhoods and quality of life,” said Kirby Spangler, local resident and president of Castle Mountain Coalition. “In this case, we’re looking at a mine plan that was designed in the late 1980’s. It does nothing to account for the changes in the community or protect all that we value about living here. ”

Members of the public raised major concerns about how Usibelli would keep the community safe with blasting at the mine site, increased traffic in residential areas, and air pollution related to coal mining. “If DNR approves this permit, they will approve a Valley-wide air quality problem and a serious health hazard. Health effects linked to breathing coal dust include increased asthma in children, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and cancer,” said Heidi Zimmer, Environmental Health Coordinator at Alaska Community Action on Toxics. “If DNR approves this permit, what will happen to our children? What will happen to our YaNeDahAh School?

If we do NOT have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, healthy salmon and moose to eat, how will we perpetuate our culture and traditional practices? How much longer do we have to endure the “Historical” traumas done to our peoples?” said Penny Westing, secretary on the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council.

The DNR has 60 days following the public meeting to make its decision on whether to approve

Usibelli’s permit renewal request.

Please consider contacting the Mat-Valley coalition to learn how you can be involved.

 

Speak Out To Protect The Mat-Su From Coal on November 15th

Nov 8

Posted by foms in Mat Valley Coal, Public Comments | Comments off

Join Mat-Su residents, property owners, local businesses and Mat-Valley Coalition partner groups to protect quality of life in the Mat-Su from the harmful effects of coal development.

The Wishbone Hill Public Hearing is scheduled for November 15th at 6pm at the Sutton Elementary School.

 

This is the last chance to voice your concerns about the proposed Wishbone Hill Strip Mine!  Please join us to send a  strong message to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.  

 

 

 

 

What:   Wishbone Hill Mine Public Hearing – Last Chance to Speak Up!

When:   Tuesday, November 15th at 6pm

Where:  Sutton Elementary School (turn left on Chickaloon Rd. at Mile 62 Glenn HWY.)

 

How You Can Help:

1. Mark November 15th on your calendar and plan to attend the Wishbone Hill Public Hearing!

2. Get at least 3 of your neighbors, friends, or family to attend with you.

3. Volunteer with the Mat-Valley Coalition to phone bank. Contact the Mat Valley Coalition partners via email at outreach@foms.net

4. If you haven’t submitted comments on the mining permit for Wishbone, please click here.  You can always submit additional comments!

What The Mat Valley Coalition Has For You:

T-shirts and signs to make sure our message is loud and clear: Mat-Su  Residents and our quality of life can’t afford  the Wishbone Hill Coal Strip mine!

Get ready to make some noise! This is our chance to show Usibelli and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the opposition to this project is loud and strong and we will stand up to protect our way of life.

We hope to see you there and thank you for your support!