There is continuing opposition from eco-groups and some Walker County residents to a new coal strip mine proposed along the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River near Dovertown and Cordova.
One source of concernfor eco- and citizens groups is that Reed Mine No. 5 would be located upstream of one of Birmingham’s major drinking water intakes, one that provides water for 200,000 people.
Now the Alabama Surface Mining Commission (ASMC) will host an informal public conference about Reed No. 5 Mine at the campus of Bevill State Community College in Sumiton, Thursday, August 9, at 6 p.m.
Area residents and eco-groups opposed to the mine have announced their intention to gather on campus beginning at 5 p.m. to register their opposition to the project.
One opposition group with members in attendance will be the Coalition of Alabama Students for the Environment, or C.A.S.E., according to a news release from the group. C.A.S.E represents student environmental groups from several state college campuses, including the University of Alabama, UAB, the University of Montevallo, Samford University and Bevill State.
Reed Mine No. 5, to be developed by Reed Minerals, is to cover more than 500 acres and have 23 wastewater discharge points along the river.
The ASMC hearing will be held in Auditorium Building 1400 on the Bevill State campus, which is located at 101 State Street, Sumiton.
Citizens wishing to offer comment regarding the proposed mine can attend the hearing or send their comments by mail. Until August 9, ASMC permit comments can be submitted via surface mail to the Alabama Surface Mining Commission, P.O. Box 2390, Jasper, Ala. 35502-2390. The comment letter should reference Reed No. 5 Mine, ASMC Permit No. P-3957.
Comments can also be sent via email to Dr. Randall Johnson at randall.johnson@asmc.alabama.gov. The ASMC permit application, P3957, can be found at http://surface-mining.alabama.gov.
In addition to the pending ASMC permit, the mine must receive a wastewater discharge permit from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).
ADEM held a public hearing in Sumiton on June 28 and has yet to announce a decision. The permit application can be found at http://adem.alabama.gov.
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