CONYNGHAM TOWNSHIP — The company awarded $1 million by the state to “reengineer, reopen and redevelop” an anthracite coal surface mine hopes to be in full production at the site as soon as October.
Blaschak Coal Co. President and CEO Greg Driscoll said work to remove some one million cubic yards of overburden has been taking place since 2016 at the former stripping pit, and miners are close to exposing the “Mammoth vein” that is as much as 80 feet thick at places and will be mined for some 20 years.
kAm%96 |292?@J r:EJ\32D65 q=2D492<[ H9:49 :D @H?65 3J |:=6DE@?6 !2CE?6CD x?4][ 2 #25?@C\32D65 :?G6DE>6?E 7:C>[ :D :?G6DE:?8 S`b >:==:@? @7 :ED @H? >@?6J :? E96 AC@;64E]k^Am
kAm#6@A6?:?8 @7 E96 7@C>6C >:?6[ =@42E65 ;FDE ?@CE9 @7 #@FE6 e` 36EH66? |@F?E r2C>6= 2?5 r6?EC2=:2[ :D A2CE @7 E96 4@>A2?J’D 677@CE E@ C6E2:? 2?E9C24:E6 2D 2 F?:BF6 =@42= C6D@FC46 H:E9 >2?J 5:776C6?E 2AA=:42E:@?D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 D66 E9:D AC@;64E 2D 2 >62?D @7 C6DFCC64E:?8[ 2E =62DE :? A2CE[ E96 2?E9C24:E6 4@2= >:?:?8 :?5FDECJ :? E9:D 2C62[” D2:5 sC:D4@==] “~FC G:D:@? :D E@ 42FD6 2?E9C24:E6 4@2= E@ 364@>6 2? :?E68C2= 4@8 :? E96 64@?@>:4 C656G6=@A>6?E @7 E96 4@2= C68:@?]”k^Am
k9bmche 24C6Dk^9bm
kAmsC:D4@== D2:5 H92E E96 4@>A2?J C676CD E@ 2D E96 |@F?E r2C>6= >:?6 :?G@=G65 :? E96 8C2?E :?4=F56D 23@FE che 24C6D[ 3FE :D A2CE @7 2 E@E2= 2C62 @7 `[bfd 24C6D E92E :?4=F56D q=2D492<’D r6?EC2=:2 >:?:?8 @A6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm(@C< 92D HC2AA65 FA 2E E96 r6?EC2=:2 >:?6[ H9:49 42? 36 D66? E@ E96 ?@CE9 @7 #@FE6 e` 36EH66? |@F?E r2C>6= 2?5 r6?EC2=:2[ 2?5 E92E 2C62 :D 36:?8 C64=2:>65]k^Am
kAm%96 C6\6DE23=:D965 >:?6[ ;FDE @G6C E96 C:586 7C@> E96 r6?EC2=:2 >:?6 2?5 ?@E G:D:3=6 7C@> #@FE6 e`[ ?6:893@CD E92E AC@A6CEJ E@ E96 H6DE] xE 925 366? 2 7F?4E:@?:?8 >:?6 H@C<65 3J |2==2C5 r@?EC24E:?8[ @H?65 3J E96 w6=7C:4< 72>:=J[ 3FE >:?:?8 462D65 E96C6 3642FD6 @7 E96 D:K6 2?5 56AE9 @7 E96 9@=6 2?5 E96 3@?5:?8 E92E C6BF:C65[ sC:D4@== D2:5] (@C< 3682? E@ 7:== :? E96 A:E]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 a_`e[ H:E9 :ED r6?EC2=:2 >:?6 D:E6 @A6C2E:@? H:?5:?8 5@H?[ q=2D492< 2AAC@24965 |2==2C5 23@FE 2 A@DD:3=6 =62D6 2?5 3682? :?G6DE:82E:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= @7 E96 |@F?E r2C>6= >:?6] ~=5 >2AD H6C6 DEF5:65 2?5 D@>6 d_ E@ e_ 9@=6D H6C6 5C:==65 E@ 4@?7:C> 9@H >F49 4@2= H2D AC6D6?E 2?5 H96C6]k^Am
kAmr@?G:?465 :E H2D H@CE9H9:=6[ q=2D492< 28C665 E@ 2 a_\J62C =62D6 H:E9 |2==2C5[ sC:D4@== D2:5]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ :? a_`f[ :E 2AA=:65 7@C E96 DE2E6 8C2?E]k^Am
kAmsC:D4@== D2:5 A=2??:?8 :D <6J 7@C 2 AC@;64E @7 E9:D >28?:EF56]k^Am
kAm“(6 =@@< 2E E96 &$v$ >2AD[ 2=@?8 H:E9 26C:2= A9@E@8C2A9J E92E D9@HD FA\4C@AA:?8[ 2?5 E96? H6 A6C7@C> 5C:==:?8 @A6C2E:@?D :? @C56C E@ 244FC2E6=J 6DE:>2E6 E96 24EF2= 56AE9 @7 E96 G6:? :? E92E 2C62[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$@>6 4@2= H2D 24EF2==J 2=C625J E2<6? 7C@> E96 D:E6 2D C6>@G2= @7 @G6C3FC56? @44FCC65 :? 2? 677@CE E@ C6249 E96 |2>>@E9 G6:?]k^Am
k9bmpAA=:65 7@C Sc]d >:==:@?k^9bm
kAm%96 S` >:==:@? 8C2?E E@ q=2D492< H2D 2AAC@G65 E9C@F89 E96 #656G6=@A>6?E pDD:DE2?46 r2A:E2= !C@8C2> W#pr!X[ 2 8C2?E AC@8C2> 25>:?:DE6C65 3J E96 ~77:46 @7 E96 qF586E 7@C E96 24BF:D:E:@? 2?5 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 C68:@?2= 64@?@>:4[ 4F=EFC2=[ 4:G:4[ C64C62E:@?2= 2?5 9:DE@C:42= :>AC@G6>6?E AC@;64ED] pAA=:42E:@?D 2C6 C6G:6H65 2?5 2H2C565 @? E96:C @H? >6C:ED 2?5 E9:D AC@;64E H2D 56E6C>:?65 E@ 36 8@@5 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ 3J E96 (@=7 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ {J?5D2J z6?D:?86C[ 56AFEJ AC6DD D64C6E2CJ :? E96 8@G6C?@C’D 4@>>F?:42E:@? @77:46[ D2:5 62C=:6C E9:D H66<]k^Am
kAmz6?D:?86C D2:5 2H2C5:?8 @7 E96 8C2?E :D ?@E C6=2E65 :? 2?J H2J E@ 7656C2= A@=:4:6D E92E 92G6 72G@C65 2 C6DFC86?46 @7 E96 4@2= :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmx? 2AA=J:?8 7@C E96 8C2?E[ E96 DE2E6 C6BF:C65 2 56E2:=65 56D4C:AE:@? 2?5 2?2=JD:D @7 E96 AC@;64E D:E6] ~77:4:2=D 7C@> E96 286?4J E@FC65 E96 2C62 @? yF=J b] sC:D4@== D2:5 q=2D492< 925 24EF2==J 2AA=:65 7@C Sc]d >:==:@?]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 :? 2H2C5:?8 >:?:?8 8C2?ED[ E96 DE2E6 =@@<D 2E E9C66 AC:>2CJ 2C62Di 6>A=@J>6?E[ C68:@?2= 4@>>F?:EJ 64@?@>:4 36?67:ED 2?5 =2?5 C64=2>2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6C6 23=6 E@ AC@G:56 E96> H:E9 3@E9 D9@CE 2?5 =@?8\E6C> 36?67:ED 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ :? 6249 @7 E96D6 2C62D[” 96 D2:5] “$9@CE\E6C> 36?67:ED 2C6 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 >2:?E2:?:?8 4FCC6?E 6>A=@J>6?E 2?5 6G6? 4C62E:?8 255:E:@?2= ;@3D] pD H6 56G6=@A 2?5 C2:D6 AC@5F4E:@?[ :E H:== C6BF:C6 2? :?4C62D6 :? @FC H@C<7@C46 =6G6=] t4@?@>:4 36?67:ED 2C6 5:C64E=J E:65 E@ 6>A=@J>6?E 36?67:ED] xE 2=D@ >2<6D E96 C68:@? G:23=6 @C 2EEC24E:G6 2D 2 A=246 E@ 4@>6 2?5 =:G6]k^Am
kAm“%96 =2?5 C64=2>2E:@?[ H9:49 :D 2 =@?8\E6C> 36?67:E[” 96 4@?E:?F65[ “:?G@=G6D E96 4@>A=6E6 C6DE@C2E:@? @7 E96 >:?65 2C62 E@ :ED ?2EFC2= =@@<]”k^Am
k9bmSed[___ E@ Sgd[___ D2=2C:6Dk^9bm
kAm%96 >:?6 :D 6IA64E65 E@ 6>A=@J ad E@ b_ H@C<6CD E92E 2C6 >6>36CD @7 E96 &?:E65 |:?6 (@C<6CD pDD@4:2E:@? W&|(pX] !2J :D 32D65 FA@? 2? 9@FC=J H286 D42=6 2?5 C2?86D 7C@> Sed[___ E@ Sgd[___ A6C J62C 56A6?5:?8 FA@? E96 ;@3 4=2DD:7:42E:@? 2?5 =6G6= @7 @G6CE:>6]k^Am
kAm“(6 2=D@ @776C 2 8@@5 962=E9 42C6 36?67:ED A24<286 E@ @FC 6>A=@J66D 2?5 2C6 G6CJ AC@F5 @7 @FC H@C<6CD[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmsC:D4@== D2:5 96 C62=:K6D 4@2= :D 4@?EC@G6CD:2=[ 3FE D2:5 E92E 2AA=:6D >@C6 E@ E96 A@H6C 86?6C2E:@? D:56] ~E96C 6I4:E:?8 56G6=@A>6?ED 7@C 2?E9C24:E6 2C6 :? ?@?\A@H6C 86?6C2E:@? FD6D[ 2?5 E92E’D 6I4:E:?8[ sC:D4@== D2:5] p?5 >:?:?8 :D >F49 >@C6 6?G:C@?>6?E2==J 7C:6?5=J E92? :E @?46 H2D[ ?@E:?8 9@H 7:==:?8 :? 2? @=5 DEC:AA:?8 A:E H96? E96 4@2= :D C6>@G65 :D?’E ;FDE 23@FE D276EJ 2?5 26DE96E:4D[ 3FE 2=D@ C65F46D E96 =:<6=:9@@5 @7 24:5\>:?6 5C2:?286]k^Am
kAm“(96? x =@@< 2E H92E’D 8@:?8 @? :? 2?E9C24:E6 C:89E ?@H[” 96 D2:5[ “H6’C6 F?5@:?8 2 =6824J @7 E96 A2DE]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.