The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental announced in the Jan. 28 Pennsylvania Bulletin that it intends to approve an air permit that would allow Western Allegheny Energy LLC of Kittanning, Pa., to build a coal prep plant.
The permit would cover “construction and initial temporary operation of a coal preparation plant rated for an annual throughput of 800,000 tons of coal at the Parkwood Mine Coal Preparation Plant in Plumcreek Township, Armstrong County,” said the notice. “The facility will consist of a double deck screen controlled by water sprays, conveyers, stackers, stockpiles, truck loadout, and an emergency diesel generator.”
Any public comments on this permitting must be received by the DEP prior to the close of business 30 days after Jan. 28.
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration registration for the Parkwood deep mine in Armstrong County was transferred in September 2011 from Western Allegheny Energy to coal operator J. Clifford Forrest’s Rosebud Mining Co. MSHA data shows that the mine was first listed with that agency in 1999 and last produced coal in 2007. The mine had been registered with MSHA under Parkwood Resources Inc. from 1999 until April 30, 2010. Rosebud completed the purchase of Parkwood Resources on April 1, 2010. U.S. Office of Surface Mining data shows that Western Allegheny Energy is controlled by Rosebud Mining.
In a separate notice in the Jan. 28 Pennsylvania Bulletin, the DEP said that on Jan. 12 it approved the transfer of a mine and NPDES water permit to Western Allegheny Energy from Rosebud Mining for the Parkwood mine in Armstrong and Indiana counties. The agency also approved a permit revision to add underground permit acres and reconfigure and add subsidence control plan area acres.
