FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2008

Citizens Organizations React to Returned Curry Mine Application

Melcroft, PA- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on May 29th returned Amerikohl Mining’s application for the proposed Curry mine, citing incompleteness in the application.  Amerikohl did not provide proof of their right to access the site via Camp Carmel Road for the proposed strip mine near Ohiopyle State Park.

The Mountain Watershed Association, Friends of Ohiopyle and the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited are pleased with yesterday’s news.  “Our organization had serious concerns about the potential impacts to the Youghiogheny River and the surrounding area from this mining, as well as the ability of the public to participate in the permitting process,” stated Liz Tavares, President of Friends of Ohiopyle.  “We are quite glad that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection shares those concerns.” 

An April 16th public meeting did not allow the public to voice their concerns in an open forum but rather required those offering testimony to do so sequestered in a private room with a tape recorder.  The DEP recently admitted that the format used did not meet the NPDES program's public participation requirements and was preparing to schedule another public hearing.

“The proposed Curry Mine, if permitted, would be surrounded on 4 sides by high-quality streams, one of which the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited is currently attempting to remediate from past mining damage,” said Scott Hoffman of CRTU.  “It does not make sense to allow further degradation to Morgan Run when our organization anticipates spending hundred of thousands of taxpayer dollars to clean it up.”

 Johnson Run, Morgan Run and the Youghiogheny River have all been designated as High-Quality Cold Water Fisheries (HQ-CWF) by the state of Pennsylvania.  The Chestnut Ridge Trout Unlimited has received DEP Growing Greener funding to install a treatment system to remediate acidic discharges caused by past coal mining in the Morgan Run watershed.

“We are very pleased with the DEP’s decision to return the application,” said Krissy Kasserman, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper with the Mountain Watershed Association.  “There were serious problems with access to the site as well as how the application addressed the presence of high-quality streams.  Because the surrounding streams are high-quality, they are considered “special protection” waters which deserve a higher level of scrutiny and protection than Amerikohl provided in the application.”

Amerikohl can resubmit the application for consideration after securing access to the site.

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