According to the Associated Press, state Bureau of Mines coal permits chief Alan Hooker said the agency anticipated offering Maryland Energy Resources a permit later in August for the new complex, the plan for which involves tunneling under the Casselman River.
In order to receive the approval, however, the company will need to agree with mandatory environmental conditions as well as post a bond.
MER is controlled by Pennsylvanian company Joseph Peles Coal, which told the AP that 20-25 people would be employed when operations commenced, though it was not confirmed whether production would start this year. However, the company did verify that the mine should open in three to five months.
Set to be the state’s largest operating deep mine, the property south of Grantsville could realize 360,000 tons per annum for 20 years from the 3000-acre property.
The AP said the company would tunnel underneath, but not actively mine, four waterways: the north and south branches of the Casselman River, the main stem of the Casselman, and Spiker Run as an equipment and personnel entry. The agency is ordering the operator to check for stream flow changes and water levels each quarter as well as construct diversion ditches and settling ponds to collect and treat mine water.
The project could potentially be delayed if a local group has its way. The Patuxent Conservation Corps, which owns 48 acres along the Casselman River, told local newspaper the Cumberland Times-News that it would appeal the permit if approved.
