Federal officials requested permission to mine coal in a 433-acre national forest in Perry and Morgan counties, and environmental groups are trying to block that effort.
A private company submitted an application to the Bureau of Land Management, the government entity that controls all federal coal rights, seeking rights to mine coal in Wayne National Forest, said Gary Chancey, the forest’s public affairs staff officer.
Forest officials cited a federal environmental assessment, which found that no significant resource would be impacted if the coal were leased and mined by underground methods, as their reason for approving the request.
The assessment also took into account potential impacts to surface resources including water, air, wildlife, plants, heritage resources and recreational opportunities.
The “Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact,” a document provided to The Post by Wayne National Forest, noted that coal mining there is consistent with laws and requirements such as the National Environmental Policy Act.
Wayne National Forest, required to give consent, did so Sept. 12.
Anne Carey, forest supervisor, made the decision to provide it.
Still, there is an appeal period of 45 days that ends Nov. 4, during which “members of the public who have concerns over the project (may) submit their comments (and) we take those under consideration before we make a final decision,” Chancey said.
The Buckeye Forest Council, along with other environmental organizations such as the Ohio Environmental Council and Earthjustice, spoke against new mining at the forest during an initial comment period from May 5 to June 4.
“The ... coal lease will contribute significantly to several environmental problems facing Southeastern Ohio and the nation, including climate change, toxic air pollution, coal ash waste contamination and impacts to endangered species,” Nathan Johnson, staff attorney for the Buckeye Forest Council, said in a news release dated June 6.
The coal project would be responsible for about 23 times the total annual greenhouse gas emissions generated in Athens County, according to the release.
Johnson added that the council plans to speak out against other long-term consequences of coal emissions, such as increasing the risk of cancer, before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Coal emissions increase an individual’s risk of lung cancer more than if the individual smoked one pack of cigarettes per day, Johnson said.
The next step in the process, assuming Carey’s decision is not appealed, is for the Bureau of Land Management to determine when to begin coal mining, Chancey said, which could be as much as several months.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
@KellyPFisher
