Public Hearing March 21, 5 PM, Regarding Renewal Of Mountaintop Removal Permit


Mar 20, 2024

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is holding a public hearing (informal conference) regarding mountaintop removal March 21 at 5:00 PM, online, by phone, or in person at Clear Fork Elementary School, Artie, WV. You can also send comments by email to Laura.B.Claypool@WV.gov by 5 PM March 21. This is for those who OPPOSE renewal of Alpha Metallurgical Resources subsidiary Republic Energy's Middle Ridge mountaintop removal permit number S301712 on Coal River Mountain. Photo by WVDEP. Details below:

March 21, 2024, 5:00 PM: The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Mining and Reclamation will conduct an informal conference related to Republic Energy, LLC's Article 3 Permit Renewal Application for Permit No. S301712.

The informal conference is scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. located at Clear Fork Elementary, 4851 Clear Fork Rd Artie, WV 25008. The conference may also be accessed virtually at https://meet.google.com/oba-ynsm-ecp or by phone at 1-262-427-6454 PIN: 118728018. You can also email comments to Laura.B.Claypool@wv.gov prior to the hearing.

The purpose of the informal conference is to allow comments from those people having an interest which is or may be adversely affected by the Republic Energy, LLC Article 3 Permit Renewal Application Permit No. S301712, located 2.1 miles Southwest of Clear Creek in the Clear Fork District of Raleigh County.

There are plenty of good reasons to deny renewal of this permit, but WVDEP will renew it anyway. They always do, regardless of which law or scientific study you cite, and regardless of how professional or how passionate you are. But you will have stated your objection. You can keep it simple and tell the WVDEP that the blasting dust they refuse to regulate is deadly for neighboring communities. Tell them that deforestation and burning coal contribute to the climate crisis, whether they believe in science or not. You don't have to be a local resident to testify. If you live on Planet Earth, this permit adversely affects your interests.

Thanks.

 Blasting dust cloud from the explosive equivalent of 305 tomahawk missiles on the Middle Ridge mountaintop removal site, 11-13-2020, drone flight by Junior Walk/Coal River Mountain Watch.Middle Ridge mountaintop removal site over Clear Creek, WV. Flyover 3-14-2024 courtesy www.Southwings.org.   Middle Ridge mountaintop removal site over Clear Fork Elementary School, Artie, WV. Flyover 3-14-2024 courtesy www.Southwings.org. 

3/15/2024 site visit photo by WVDEP

Site visit 3/15/2024 photo by WVDEP. What it looks like if you stand on your head.

Part of the Middle Ridge MTR site as seen from White Oak Road, Artie, WV, 3/15/2024. Photo by Coal River Mountain Watch