The Hellbender Chronicles

« Clearcutting the Allegheny National Forest | Main | Minor Site Adjustments »

April 20, 2004

Pennsylvania Mine Lands

First, without ambivalence, are you kidding me?

BOARD APPROVES EXPANSION OF MINING PROJECT IN LYCOMING COUNTY
The Board of Game Commissioners awarded a 10-year coal surface mining lease on a 159-acre section of State Game Lands 75 in Pine Township, Lycoming County to the Fisher Mining Company of Montoursville.

The mining operation is anticipated to remove about 711,720 tons of coal from the 159-acre project area; mining will occur on less than half this acreage. The larger portion of the tract will be used for erosion and sedimentation control, surface and groundwater monitoring and operational support.

The accumulated royalty value of this proposed mining acreage has been estimated to be $2.17 million. All merchantable timber that will be cut or impacted by mining operations will be assessed by PGC personnel at twice the stumpage value and subsequently purchased and removed by Fisher Mining.

Mining will be regulated by the state's Surface Mining Regulations and the agency's standard surface mine lease agreement, and is covered by a $25,000 performance bond. The lease also includes surface and groundwater monitoring requirements and protection measures and two in-stream alkaline addition enhancement projects in the upper watersheds of Otter and Buckeye runs, which are adjacent to the project area.

In addition, two passive treatment systems will be constructed to improve water quality from mine drainage discharges that flow into Shingle Mill Branch and Buckeye Run; and a stream-bank stabilization project will be conducted on Little Pine Creek.

Of course, this isn't surprising for anyone familiar with the mis-management of Pennsylvania's State Game Lands. And I'd like to see more details on this project which seems like an overkill of bartering.

BOARD APPROVES TWO PROJECTS TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT
The Board of Game Commissioners today approved a mineral rights/oil and gas assignment exchange in Indiana County and a coal refuse reclamation lease amendment for a project in Dauphin County.

Under the mineral rights/oil and gas assignment exchange, Joseph C. Clark of Glen Campbell received a two-year assignment of shallow oil and gas rights on a 99.6-acre parcel of State Game lands 262 in Banks Township, Indiana County. Clark may drill up to two wells, and is required to reclaim the area with a pre-approved wildlife habitat enhancement plan sanctioned by the Commission when operations are completed. The oil and gas rights will revert to the Game Commission, if a well has not been drilled within two years.

In exchange for the limited oil and gas rights, Clark will transfer to the Commission all his coal and surface- and deep-mining rights to two parcels of land in Banks and neighboring Montgomery townships. The first parcel is for the rights below a 126-acre tract located on the northern reaches of SGL 262; the second provides rights for 53.76 acres on SGL 262, as well as 70.3 acres located under privately-owned lands.

The exchange is expected to further safeguard wildlife habitat and recreational use values for about 178 acres of SGL 262.

Under the coal refuse reclamation lease amendment approved by the Board of Game Commissioners, Meadowbrook Coal Company of Lykens will be permitted to mine, remove and sell stone from the current coal refuse reclamation project it's conducting on SGL 264 in Wiconisco Township, Dauphin County. In exchange, Meadowbrook will perform reclamation and wildlife habitat enhancement work on SGL 264.

Most of the rehabilitative work will focus on dangerous mine subsidence holes that pockmark SGL 264. These holes are currently posted with restricted area signs and perimeter fences, but still present a potentially dangerous condition for visitors. Meadowbrook will work to remedy these subsidence holes.

Posted by jkleissler at April 20, 2004 06:30 PM

Comments

Post a comment