COMPANY ACTIVITY

Higher than the Hoover Dam

ONE of the nation's biggest coal slurry impoundments is set to grow after federal regulators appr...

Staff Reporter

The expansion of the 6.5 billion-gallon Alpha Natural Resources Brushy Fork impoundment in West Virginia was approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration this week.

The impoundment will be permitted to hold as much as 8.5 billion gallons and, when fully expanded, will reach a height of 740 feet, higher than the Hoover Dam.

Alpha calls MSHA’s approval an incremental development in what has long been part of the construction plan, according to the Associated Press.

The impoundment was built in the 1990s by Marfork Coal Co., which was a subsidiary of Massey Energy before Alpha bought Massey in 2011.

The expansion is not without opposition, with environmental groups and local residents claiming that the impoundment was unsafely built and it is only a matter of time before it fails.

But Alpha says past state and federal reviews found no deficiencies and that the company is “committed to designing, building and operating facilities safely.”

“We make the safety of our impoundments among the highest priorities in our company because we recognize the responsibility that comes with impoundment ownership,” an Alpha spokeswoman told the AP.

“If safety is ever in doubt, we won’t hesitate to stop working and shut down a mining operation.”

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection previously ruled there was no reason to believe the impoundment was improperly built or unsafe.

The department is still reviewing Alpha’s expansion application but required MSHA approval before it could act on any decision.

TOPICS:

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Monthly Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Digitalisation Report 2023

An in-depth review of operations that use digitalisation technology to drive improvements across all areas of mining production